LAHORE: Though Punjab Assembly’s rules of business do not set a time-frame for notifying Leader of the Opposition, the PML-N desires that the speaker accomplish the task at the earliest.

A representative delegation of the PML-N lawmakers, led by Khwaja Imran Nazir and Samiullah Khan, called on Wednesday acting speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari urging him to notify Hamza Shahbaz as the opposition leader as per his assurance given on Tuesday.

Mr Mazari reportedly sought two more days to issue the notification. Earlier, in response to assembly secretariat’s objections to signatures of some MPAs on the requisition for appointing the opposition leader, PML-N MPAs had appeared before the assembly authorities to verify their signatures.

On Wednesday, the opposition legislators also raised slogans against Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who is presently acting governor, for raising “unnecessary” objections to the requisition. They also chanted “vote ko izzat do”.

“All the elected houses are run under rules as well as traditions,” said Mr Samiullah. “And the tradition is that an opposition leader is appointed soon after the election of the chief minister.” He was asked why the N League was in a hurry to get Mr Shahbaz nominated as the opposition leader while assembly’s rules of business did not specify time period for the purpose.

He held Speaker Elahi responsible for their attitude.

“We adopted the strategy after the speaker’s office leaked to and misled the media about signatures of some MPAs that don’t match with the ones on the roll call register.”

He alleged that to the disadvantage of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Mr Elahi was deliberately spoiling atmosphere in the house by raising “unfounded” objections like bogus signatures of MPAs so that Mr Elahi remained relevant to the ruling alliance.

He warned that the PML-N, which enjoyed support of 162 MPAs in a house of 371, would resort to a forceful protest during presidential polls due on Sept 4 and would make peaceful balloting impossible if the notification was not issued by that time.

Punjab Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja said the treasury was not politicking on the opposition leader issue when it was crystal clear that none other than a PML-N nominee would be appointed to the post.

“Whether we delay the notification for one day, one week or one month the fact will remain the same that only a PML-N nominee could be notified as the opposition leader keeping in view the parliamentary strength of the party. So what political mileage could we get from the delay?” he said.

“We’re inviting the lawmakers whose signatures were found to be dubious only to be on safe side so none could create an issue later that bogus signatures were used to get someone appointed (as opposition leader).”

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2018