LAHORE – Hamza Shehbaz Sharif while addressing the Punjab Assembly todayhas said how people sacrificed for the country at the time of Partition.“People were killed in trains and deprived of their honour,” he said duringhis address. “Yet after 71 years, all the parties are crying foul aboutrigging in the elections. The people of Pakistan want answers.”
He said ballot papers were found lying strewn on the roads and underclassroom desks.
“You would remember how terrorism affected this country,” he said.“Recently, ANP’s Haroon Bilour *sahib* was martyred. Pakistan has renderednumerous such sacrifices. Today, we are facing multiple challenges. NawazSharif wanted to end load-shedding. Today, our enemy country says it willkill Pakistan of thirst. Kalabagh Dam became victim of politics. We couldhave had a bigger reservoir. Even today, if a consensus can be reached, theKalabagh Dam should be built. Bhasha Dam was a dream. This assembly shouldbe proud that we have acquired the land for the dam after spending Rs100million. Pakistan will progress.”
There have been many *vuzra-e-aala* [chief ministers] but there will neverbe another *khadim-e-aala* [chief servant], he said of his father.
Nawaz Sharif was offered in 2013 that he could form the government inKhyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he said. “But he did not take the offer as the PTI hadformed the majority,” he said.
We will not rest until rigging is taken care of, said Hamza Shehbaz.“Despite all hurdles, the PML-N emerged as the largest party in Punjab,” hesaid.
The session began at 12pm. Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is presiding overthe session.
Instead of secret balloting, the 371 members of the assembly will divideinto two groups. The group that forms a simple majority with 186 or moreMPAs will be able to install its chief minister. A re-election will be heldif a simple majority cannot be achieved.
The PML-N’s Hamza was elected on the PP-146 seat with 71,389 votes. He isthe son of PML-N President and former Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif. The PML-Nhas emerged successful on 129 seats of the Punjab Assembly. With thebacking of one independent candidate, 30 women seats and four minorityseats, they enjoy the support of 164 MPAs.
The PTI’s candidate, Buzdar, was elected on Dera Ghazi Khan’s PP-286 seatwith 27,027 votes. He is the son of tribal chieftain Sardar Fatah MuhammadKhan Buzdar. The PTI has secured victory on 119 seats of the PunjabAssembly. As many as 29 independent MPAs joined the PTI. With the backingof 33 women seats and four minority seats, the PTI has the support of 179MPAs.
The PML-Q has seven general seats and two women seats. They also enjoy thebacking of an independent candidate.
The PPP has six general seats and one women’s seat. The party has decidednot to vote in the election for the chief minister.
There is one independent MPA who has joined the Pakistan Raah-e-Haq Party.Four other independent candidates have not announced their support foranyone.