LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry PervaizElahi’s election as the speaker of Punjab Assembly on Thursday pointed to aforward bloc within Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Elahi, who had Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) support, secured 201 votesin the election for speaker of the provincial house.

His contender, PML-N nominee Chaudhry Mohammad Iqbal, gained 147 votesdespite the fact that the party had a total strength of 162 in the PunjabAssembly.

The reports of a forward bloc were substantiated after PTI leader MehmoodurRasheed said they did not make a conscious effort to create a forward blocin the rival party, rather the “PML-N friends offered to cooperatethemselves”.

Rasheed further said that they had freed Punjab from the slavery of the“throne of Lahore”.

Speaking to media prior to the election, Saad Rafique said that the“government was being selected through horse trading”.

He said that efforts were made to break his party members, adding, “Adisqualified individual was bringing members of the assembly in [his]plane.”