Lahore: The Pakistan Punjab Assembly was sealed on Wednesday, with barbed wires installed atop its boundary walls and the building’s main gate locked, amid confusion over the scheduling of a crucial session for the election of the province’s new chief minister, Dawn reported.
A large contingent of police has been deployed outside the Assembly, with personnel carrying batons and shields. Water cannons and Rescue 1122 vehicles have also been parked outside the Assembly premises.
The development coincides with the submission of a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, after he said the session for the Chief Minister’s election would take place on Wednesday, but a spokesperson for the provincial Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) denied the development.
Reacting to the sealing of the provincial Assembly, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari decried that the Deputy Speaker had been “locked out” of the Assembly on the day of voting for the Chief Minister’s election.
The PPP chief said in a tweet: “If it takes 30 seconds to pull off a coup, it should take 30 seconds to undo a coup. Justice delayed is justice denied. After last week’s constitutional breakdown in Islamabad, today Punjab deputy speaker was locked out of [the] assembly on [the] day of voting for CM. Barbered [sic] wire around people’s house.”
(IANS)
