The Punjab chief minister election process is in progress, marked by a walkout from Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) members after being denied a chance to speak. The session, delayed by over 30 minutes, saw Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan presiding. He began by swearing in two members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs), committing to impartial leadership.
Speaker Khan announced the candidacy of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz and SIC’s Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan for the chief minister position following nomination paper scrutiny. He then had the Assembly secretary explain the voting procedure. However, when the SIC candidate sought to make a point of order, Speaker Khan restricted his speech, emphasizing the session’s focus on elections only.
The restriction prompted an SIC walkout, delaying the election start. In response, Speaker Khan formed a committee to urge the SIC members’ return, including Khawaja Salman Rafique, Salman Nazeer, Samiullah, and Khalil Tahir Sindhu. Efforts by PPP’s Ali Haider Gilani and PML-Q’s Chaudhry Shafay Hussain failed, turning the walkout into an election boycott.
Despite this, Speaker Khan proceeded with the election, first calling on female lawmakers to vote, followed by their male counterparts. Each voter remained in the lobby until voting concluded.
PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz, likely to win given her party’s majority, could become Pakistan’s first female chief minister. The PML-N holds 224 seats, while SIC’s Rana Aftab, a former PPP MPA, has 103 supporters. Winning requires a majority from the 327-seat assembly.
Maryam’s victory would mark her as the fourth Sharif family member and the first woman to hold the Punjab CM role. She was previously elected for Lahore’s NA 119 and PP-159 seats, so she vacated the National Assembly position. Her election continues the Sharif family’s political legacy, following Nawaz, Shehbaz, Abbas Sharif, Hamza Shehbaz, and Begum Kalsoom Nawaz.
