Hamza Shehbaz appointed as Punjab Assembly Opp leader

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz on Thursday was appointed as the Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly.

A written order was issued by Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi. Moreover, Hamza’s appointment had faced a delay after the Assembly Secretariat had received a complaint about forged signatures on the nomination papers.

After probing into the matter and ensuring that signatures were not forged, the Punjab Assembly speaker proceeded with Hamza’s appointment.

Furthermore, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif currently serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly.

Earlier, the newly sworn-in Punjab CM Usman Buzdar was opposed by PML-N candidate Hamza Shehbaz for the top office. As much as 186 members of the provincial assembly voted for PTI candidate while Hamza garnered only 159 votes.

The Punjab Assembly session was chaired by Speaker Pervaiz Elahi and PML-N’s MPAs, present in the assembly with black armbands, surrounded the speaker’s dice as he signalled the start of the proceedings.

Following his win, Buzdar addressed the assembly and vowed to resolve Punjab’s issues. Responding to his maiden speech as the chief minister, Hamza said that he appreciated the democratic transition but also alleged: “with a heavy heart, that the government’s mandate is marred by rigging”.

Buzdar was given the go-ahead by the Punjab Assembly Secretariat to contest the election following allegations that the PTI nominee had faced a corruption probe and was also acquitted in the murder of six persons in 1998 after allegedly paying blood money. Hamza Shehbaz’s nomination papers were also cleared by the assembly officials after scrutiny.