LAHORE: Pakistan Mulsim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Pervaiz Elahi has been elected speaker of the Punjab Assembly.
Elahi was the nominee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for the position.
Out of total 349 votes, the former Punjab chief minister got 201 votes against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal Gujjar who manged to get 147.
The vote of PTI’s reserved seat MPA Sadiqa Sahibdad was cancelled over showing it in the open.
Elahi was administered oath by outgoing speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal.
Earlier, there were reports that Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), which has seven seats in the provincial assembly, decided not to vote for candidates of either party.
On Wednesday the Punjab Assembly held its first session in which newly elected members took oath. PTI has emerged the leading party in the provincial assembly with 179 seats followed by PML-N which has 164. PML-Q’s tally stands at 10, while independent candidates clinched four seats.