LAHORE, Nov 27: A pandemonium was created in the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday when PML-Q members rose to prevent PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah Khan from criticising the generals who, he said, had “created the new assemblies and appointed their own people”.

The new speaker, Mohammad Afzal Sahi, had just been sworn in and Mr Sana allowed to make a speech on the occasion. “We have heard others, but Rana creates a stampede whenever he speaks,” one PML-Q MPA said.

The uproar started when PML-J’s Chaudhry Farooq objected to Rana Sanaullah’s remarks that Mr Sahi had been “selected and not elected by the House”.

The remarks annoyed most PML-Q members, who advised Rana Sanaullah to be relevant. “Otherwise, we will also be forced to narrate stories of horse-trading at Changa Manga and of those who have fled the country after abandoning the nation and democracy,” they yelled. They said that the PML-N parliamentary party leader was a turncoat himself, having joined the PML-N after quitting the PPP and that Nawaz Sharif, too, was a product of the generals.

Earlier, before administering the oath to the new speaker, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi made a speech terming the restoration of the democratic system a welcome development for the people.

He said the assembly should adopt policies to benefit the people and eradicate illiteracy and poverty. Pakistan was in urgent need of internal stability, for which members of the assembly must keep the national interest above their personal interests, he added.

Chaudhry Pervaiz said the speaker was the custodian of the privilege of the entire House within and outside the assembly and was supposed to serve all members without any discrimination. He congratulated his successor and described him as an able parliamentarian.

As Mr Sahi replaced Chaudhry Pervaiz after the oath, the first person to congratulate him was MMA’s Arshad Baggoo, who hoped that the new speaker would not adopt a jernaili attitude towards members of the assembly.

Mr Baggoo said the MMA would support every good initiative of the House, but would not allow it to bulldoze rules or people’s interests.

The PML-N candidate for the office of speaker, Rana Mashood Khan, in his speech reminded the house that “we have come here to help the crippled democracy get rid of dictatorship”. He said the opposition’s joining hands was a good omen for democracy.

He said his party was all for promotion of real democracy and lauded the efforts of lawyers’ community for its restoration. He said now that the assemblies had been restored, “the ordinance factory in the president’s house” should close down.

Qasim Zia hoped that the Speaker would allow the opposition to freely discuss various issues in the assembly.

He said the PPP had filed an application seeking action against its members who had joined the PML-Q.

PML-N’s Talib Hussain Dogran told the house that he had joined the PML-Q.

Earlier, at a press conference on Tuesday, he had announced that he was coerced into joining the PML-Q and had now returned to his own party. His defection just hours after the press conference was a shock for the PML-N.