The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to call a Punjab Assembly session to elect its Chief minister, speaker, and deputy speaker, asserting a majority with 250 members, including reserved seats for women and minorities, as reported by a Pakistan media agency.
Speaking at a press conference on February 26, 2024, the PTI central leader Shaukat Basra stated that PTI members who have won as per Form-45 will participate in the session. Accompanied by other PTI-backed candidates who contested the Punjab Assembly elections, Basra highlighted the presence of PTI-backed members, including the newly elected chief minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, whom he claimed secured victory through what he termed a “stolen mandate.”
According to Dawn, Basra asserted that Mehr Sharafat, a PTI-backed candidate, defeated Sharif in Lahore’s PP-159 constituency. The Official Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) results showed Sharif securing 23,598 votes, while Mr. Sharafat trailed with 21,491 votes.
Accusing the election results of being rigged in Sharif’s favour, Basra claimed that the election date was manipulated to ensure her victory and criticised what he termed a flawed electoral process. Another PTI leader, Naeem Haider Panjotha, claimed victory in PP-71 Sargodha but alleged electoral malpractice, resulting in his defeat despite a substantial lead, as per Dawn.
In response to Sharif’s election, PTI criticised the violation of democratic and constitutional norms, alleging police imposition of a curfew outside the assembly to prevent PTI members and the CM nominee from entering.
The PTI spokesperson denounced Sharif’s elevation, labelling it an insult to the people’s mandate and a continuation of dynastic politics. The PTI warned of the precariousness of the “unconstitutional” government established post-election fraud.
The PTI’s decision to hold a parallel assembly session underscores the political tensions surrounding the recent Punjab Assembly elections and reflects the party’s stance against what it perceives as electoral irregularities and an undemocratic transition of power.
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