Oath-taking today: PTI yet to finalise candidate for Punjab CM

LAHORE: As the newly-elected members of Punjab Assembly are taking oath today (Wednesday), the PTI, the party which claims largest numbers in the House, is yet to announce its candidate for the chief minister.

The first session of the new assembly will be presided over by the outgoing speaker, Rana Iqbal, which during the week will also elect speaker, deputy speaker and chief minister.

The PTI has 159 members in the House of 371 and with the help of 10 from PML-Q and 15 independents, who have so far joined the party, its total strength stands at 184. However, Tariq Dreshak, one of its elected MPAs, has passed away recently. To form a government, a figure of 186 is needed in the House.

On the other hand, the PML-N, which won 129 general seats, has added 34 more in the form of reserved seats for women and minorities. With the support of PPP with six MPAs in the House, it has 169 members in Punjab Assembly and needs at least 20 more MPAs to ensure a comfortable formation of government.

The PTI has nominated its ally Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for the speaker, whereas the PML-N is fielding Chaudhry Iqbal Gujjar against him. Iqbal has also been a provincial minister in the cabinet of Pervaiz Elahi from 2002 to 2007.

Hamza Shahbaz has been nominated as the candidate for the slot of chief minister by the PML-N. However, the PTI’s list has more than one dozen aspirants including Hashim Jawan Bakht (brother of Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar), Hasnain Bahadur Dreshak (former finance minister who hails from Rajanpur), ex-opposition leader Mehmood-ul-Rasheed, former provincial ministers like Sibtain Khan and Aslam Iqbal, and newly-elected MPA from Chakwal Raja Yasir.

Meanwhile, Dr Murad Raas is also a potential candidate for the slot. Murad, who interestingly is a close relative of Hamza, has been elected as MPA for the second consecutive term and is siding with Imran Khan since his party was in struggling phase. In case the PTI nominates Murad for the slot, the situation would become quite interesting as he will face his relative in the contest.

Some members of the noted political families who are taking oath today include Nawabzada Mansur Ali Khan – son of a well-known politician of past Nawabzada Nasar Ullah Khan, and Hamid Yar Hiraj – brother of former MPA Muhammad Yar Hiraj and former district Nazim Khanewal Ahmed Yar Hiraj. From Khanewal, two more famous figures Khawar Shah and Nauman Langrial are also taking oath today. Khawar is a relative of former National Assembly speaker Fakhar Imam, whereas Nauman is of former provincial minister Iqbal Langrial. The outgoing speaker is also taking oath today once again. He hails from Bhai Pheru – now Phool Nagar, a town in Kasur – and his father Rana Phool Muhammad was a well-reputed politician of his time. The families, which have the oldest relationship with the Punjab Assembly, include that of Mohsin Leghari, Dost Muhammad Mazari, Ali Hyder Gilani and Basma Chaudhry. A former senator, Mohsin, who has been elected from Rajanpur, is also a scion of noted political family as his cousin Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari was the country’s president, whereas his other relatives, Jamal and Awais, served as federal minister and members of provincial assembly or the Upper House of Parliament.

Also, his father and uncle were elected as MPA in different terms, while his family had representation in the House even before the Partition. Since 1921, this family has the distinction of being the part of Punjab Assembly in every term and enjoys almost a century-long relationship with the House.

Similarly, Dost Muhammad is also a member of the Mazari family which has been a part of Punjab Assembly since pre-Partition. He is a grandson of former prime minister Balakh Sher Mazari and also the PTI candidate for deputy speaker.

Basma Chaudhry – daughter of former MPA and District Nazim Mandi Bahauddin, is also the member of a family that has a pre-partition affiliation with the House. Her great grandfather Ghulam Mohammad was a member of Punjab Legislative Council in 1921-1923 and later in 1924-26. Besides, her grandfather Chaudhry Zahoor was an MPA in 1985-1988, whereas his father Chaudhry Riaz was elected as MPA in 2002.

Ali Hyder is son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and members of his family also got elected from Punjab in the British era.

Mohiuddin Khosa, grandson of former governor Zulfiqar Khosa who got elected, is also taking oath today – the third in the family after his grandfather and uncle Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa to enjoy the distinction.