LAHORE, March 3: The Pakistan Muslim League-N proved its majority in the Punjab assembly on Tuesday when at least 207 MPAs expressed support for former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Deputy speaker Rana Mashhud and former law minister Rana Sanaullah Khan of the PML-N took media personnel to the assembly to show the numerical strength.

PML-N’s Punjab president and MPA Sardar Zulfikar Khosa moved a resolution condemning what it called “illegal and unconstitutional” governor’s rule and reposing trust in the leadership of ‘disqualified chief minister’ Shahbaz Sharif.

The house has been in session since Feb 25 — the day the Sharif brothers were disqualified by the Supreme Court and governor’s rule was imposed in Punjab by the federal government.

The resolution was adopted unanimously by the 207 MPAs present at the time.

Legislators belonging to the PML-N (169), PML-Q forward bloc (33), PML-F (3), MMA (2) pledged to continue struggle till the return of Shahbaz Sharif as chief minister and punishment of elements involved in the ‘conspiracy’ to derail the democratic set-up.

Rejoicing at the official headcount, carried out at the request of Rana Sanaullah, charged MPAs danced and raised slogans against President Asif Ali Zardari and in favour of the PML-N leadership amid warnings by Speaker Rana Mohammad Iqbal against use of ‘un-parliamentary language’.

Mr Khosa informed the house that five MPAs — Asghar Langiral, Sanaullah Masti Khel, Iftikhar Gilani, Safdar Gill, Chaudhry Shafiq — and another could not turn up because of some domestic problems.

Ailing MPA Khalid Imtiaz Baloch was brought to the house on a stretcher as he was about to undergo a heart surgery while Mir Badshah Khan Qaisrani joined the proceedings wearing support for lumber.

A PML-N leader said the party had asked all MPAs to reach the assembly considering it a “test of their loyalty”.

“If you are with us, reach the Punjab assembly building at 3pm on Tuesday,” he quoted Shahbaz Sharif as telling the MPAs.

The house, through another resolution, condemned the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team and accused Governor Salman Taseer of engaging the administration into purchasing loyalty of MPAs, instead of providing foolproof security to the visiting team.

It said the governor should accept responsibility for the attack and resign. The resolution regretted that although there were intelligence reports about a possible attack, security officials had failed to take effective action to avert it.

It called for restoration of the Shahbaz government which had performed excellently to maintain sectarian harmony and peace during Muharram.

The house was adjourned for Monday after an hour of proceedings. Later, the legislators staged a sit-in for half an hour outside the Governor’s House and raised slogans against the president and governor.
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