April 13, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1429

LAHORE, April 12: PML-N-led coalition's nominee Dost Muhammad Khosa showed his majority in the house by securing 263 votes in a special session of the Punjab Assembly convened on Saturday to ascertain who commands confidence of the majority of members. The house comprises 371 members but polls to 18 constituencies are yet to be held.

The PML-Q, former ruling party, has already announced boycott of the proceedings in protest against manhandling of Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Dr Sher Afgan.

However, a couple of its forward bloc members participated and reportedly cast their vote too. But most of the members abstained from voting to avoid defection clause.

None has filed nominations to contest against Dost Muhammad Khosa who is the youngest parliamentarian elected as the Punjab chief minister.

He began his career as a parliamentarian in 1999 when he was first elected to the Punjab Assembly.

Thanking for the support, Khosa told the house that he would put an end to rule of bureaucrats.

He termed the day a day of victory of democracy, made possible through the sacrifices of the PML-N and PPP high command.

He urged all the MPAs to use all their abilities for resolving the problems of the people in an amicable way, and promised his own support and that of the leadership of the allied parties in this regard.

Parliamentary leaders of the allied parties in the house, including Raja Riaz, PML-F's Syed Ahmed Mahood and MMA's Ali Haider Noor Niazi, and MPAs Hassan Murtaza, Nazim Hussain Shah and others congratulated Khosa and hoped that he would take along all parties in decision making, ensure protection to all the parliamentarians.

The Raja wanted the federal government to investigate the recent Karachi riots, and promised to form a committee soon for probing the torture of Dr Sher Afgan.

The chair prorogued the house for an indefinite period.

Earlier, Khosa announced a one-month bonus salary for the assembly staff.—Staff Reporter