With permission given by the House to Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on a motion to hold presidential election on Friday, the Punjab Assembly is all set to hold the presidential elections in which 370 legislators would their votes on Saturday.
The total electoral strength of the Punjab Assembly is 65, out of which the PML-N presidential candidate Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddique is expected to lead the polls. The PML-N has 171 legislator strength in he House. The party also claims support of legislators from Azad Group and others in the presidential election.
In the House, the PPP has strength of 107 legislators, supported by certain legislators from PML-Q Forward Group and others. Under the scenario, PPP candidate Asif Ali Zardari is also expected to muster votes around 150 in the presidential election, their party sources claim.
With PML-Q having strength of 83 of in the House of which there had been parting of members of theirs, while forming Azad and Forward Group, making a prophecy of their vote strength for presidential election is not possible. However, with Mushahid Hussain a seasoned journalist and political activist, certain gains in electoral votes beyond party position is a possibility.
The voters, during the election, would sit in alphabetical order and vote in the sequence. Other strength of parties in the House is PML-F: three; MMA: two; and Independents: four. The polling will start at 10:00 am and will culminates at 3:00 p. m. The Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court would be the presiding officer of the presidential election.
In the session, during the day two resolutions - one condemning attack on Angoor Ada by foreign forces and other condemning live burial of women in Balochistan - was passed by the House. In the House, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, averring views on change in capital punishment, apprised the House that there was no law regarding it under consideration at present.
Shaikh Allaudin speaking on Bajur incident, said that a fund be created to help victims there. He offered Rs 100,000 for the fund if it was created. Colonel Shuja Khanzada (Retd) said that Pak forces should be asked to retaliate on the agggression on northern borders. He said our forces, instead of attacking own people, should take action against those infringing our sovereignty, he said.
He said going to the United Nations was futile on the matter as it was in cohesion with these allied forces. Waris Kalo, speaking on the issue, said under the circumstances there was a need for change in foreign policy. Leader of the opposition in the House Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din said there was no harm in going to the UN on the issue of crossing over of foreign forces in the country. He, however, said that if the country was not heard, then a change of strategy could occur.
Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal, on a point of order on Haj quota for the provincial assembly members, said that the Federal government would be contacted on the matter. He formed an eight-member committee, comprising of Rana Sanaullah, Haji Ishaq, Shaikh Allaudin, Raja Riaz, Amina Ulfat, Aslam Munda, Nazim Hussain Shah, Mohsin Naqvi to deliberate with the Federal government and report on the matter within seven days.
On a privilege motion, tabled by MPA Malik Javed Iqbal Awan on agricultural medicines, the Speaker said that the motion would be dealt comprehensively in the next session. Privilege motion by Lieutenant Colonel Shabir Awan (Retd) was assured by the Law Minister to be probed in during the next session.
Certain questions on Zakat and Ushr, Transport were discussed before the chair prorogued the House. Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Syed Zahid Hussain, accompanied by Provincial Election Commissioner and Speaker of Punjab Assembly, visited the provincial assembly premises and examined arrangements for holding of presidential election. He also gave pertinent instructions on the occasion.