In set back for Imran Khan, PML-N’s Hamza Sharif retains Pak-Punjab province CM post

Islamabad, July 23: In a setback to ousted Pakistan premier Imran Khan, Hamza Shehbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was declared the winner in the election to the post of Chief Minister of Punjab province on Friday though his PML-N party did not have a majority in the Assembly after key by-elections this week.

Hamza Shehbaz managed to retain the post of Punjab province Chief Minister by the barest of margins after the Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari rejected 10 crucial votes of his rival candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi's party PML-Q on 'technical grounds', news agency PTI reported.

Deputy Speaker Mazari who presided over the crucial session on Friday that began after a three-hour delay, rejected 10 votes citing Article 63-A of the Constitution of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), an ally of ousted prime minister Khan, and declared Hamza victorious.

In the 368-member Punjab Assembly, Hamza's party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) received 179 votes, while Elahi's party garnered 176 votes, but only after 10 votes of Elahi's own party were not counted, after party head Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain issued a letter.

"I give a ruling to reject 10 votes of PML-Q as its chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has written me a letter declaring that his party lawmakers should not vote for the PTI-PMLQ candidate. I had spoken to Shujaat by phone and he confirmed that it is his letter," Mazari said, adding that Hamza had retained the spot of Punjab province Chief Minister by three votes.
The PTI-PMLQ lawmakers protested the ruling of the deputy speaker.