Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Hamza Shehbaz was elected the new chief minister of Punjab after a chaotic session at the provincial assembly on Saturday.
During the chaos, Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari was attacked and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi got injured.
Hamza bagged 197 votes to defeat his rival Elahi — whose party PML-Q and its ally PTI boycotted the poll, which began after a five-hour delay due to a series of altercations and melees on the House floor throughout the day, reports Pakistani English daily DAWN.
Announcing the results of the election, the deputy speaker said the day represented a "success of democracy" and lauded the "positive role" of the MPAs who took part in the voting despite the events.
The session was scheduled to begin at 11:30am but got underway a little after 5:00pm, following which the deputy speaker ordered that the doors of the legislature be closed and commenced the proceedings for voting.
Prior to the resumption of the session, television footage showed Elahi being given oxygen while his right forearm was bandaged.
He alleged that PML-N MPA Rana Mashood broke his hand. "During his (Shehbaz's) exile, I took care of Hamza [Shehbaz] but today he showed his reality," he said. "This is Sharif's democracy. They have crossed the limits today."
Elahi later told DawnNewsTV that PML-N had "taken revenge" from him and and accused Punjab Inspector General of Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan of acting directly on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's directives.
"He (Shehbaz) sent the IG to the House. Police can never enter the House. This has happened for the first time in the history of Pakistan," he said.
"The court does not listen to me either," Elahi complained.
