PTI and PML-Q jointly field Sibtain Khan, while Opposition nominates Saif ul Malook for contest.
Sibtain Khan hopes to win “effortlessly”.
Punjab Assembly adopts resolution for staging vote of no-confidence against deputy speaker.
The voting to elect the speaker of the Punjab Assembly is underway, with both the ruling coalition and opposition alliance fielding their candidates for the coveted post.
 The seat of the Punjab Assembly fell vacant after the former office bearer, Pervez Elahi’s election as the Punjab chief minister.
PTI’s MPA Waseem Khan Badozai presided over the session. Prior to the commencement of the voting process, PML-N’s Khalil Tahir Sindhu tried to raise a point of objection related to the position of the polling booth, saying that cameras were installed above it. Following his objection, the location of the polling booth was changed.
Prior to the voting, the location of the polling booth was changed after the Opposition objected to it. PML’s Khalil Tahir Sandhu said that cameras are installed above the polling booth, in response to which Nawabzada Waseem Khan Badozai, who was presiding over the session, said that the former’s objections shall be removed.
Sibtain Khan claimed that the PML-N would “fail to cause any interruption” during the speaker’s election, hoping that he would win the contest “effortlessly”, Dawn.com reported.
“Everyone saw what happened to the letter [of PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain] that the PML-N had presented to win the chief minister election,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking to the journalists outside the assembly shortly before the session began, PML-N’s Khokhar said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and one of its candidates will win. “They [PTI] will know who is better and who is a thief,” he added.
The ruling coalition has a strength of 186 MPAs whereas PML-N, PPP and a few independents constitute a strength of 178. An upset and a very tough contest is likely in a secret ballot.