LAHORE: Securing 297 votes, Rana Mohammad Iqbal of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) was elected Speaker Punjab Assembly on Monday.

Earlier today, 342 members of the assembly voted to elect candidates to the offices of speaker and deputy speaker in the second session of the house.

The Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), which enjoys two-thirds majority with 305 MPAs in the house of 371, had fielded Iqbal for the speaker’s office, while pitching Sher Ali Gorchani from Rajanpur district for the deputy’s slot.

The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) with 26 MPAs had fielded Raja Rashid Hafeez for the office of speaker, giving the Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) with nine MPAs a chance to put its nominee, Waqas Moakkal, for deputy speaker slot.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with seven MPAs had earlier decided to take part in the polls for both seats but later revised the decision.

Earlier, candidatures of all the four nominees were accepted by assembly secretary Maqsood Ahmed Malik after scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Iqbal had vowed to serve the house with impartiality and to come up to the party leadership’s expectations.