In a tumultuous session chaired by Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, 24 members elected to specific seats in the Punjab Assembly took their oaths. Opposition members protested the swearing-in of members to reserved seats, leading to chaotic scenes and uproar in the assembly hall.
Out of the 24 reserved seats designated for women and minorities, 21 women and 3 minority members took their oaths, with elected members of the ruling coalition also participating in the oath-taking ceremony.
Rana Aftab of the Sunni Ittehad Council deemed the oath-taking illegal, stating that the matter is sub judice and the members cannot take oaths until a decision is reached by the court.
Despite opposition protests in the National Assembly, members elected to specific seats took their oaths. Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan rejected the opposition’s demands, asserting that the oath-taking was
in accordance with the constitution.
Additionally, the assembly unanimously passed a resolution to confer the status of martyr and national hero posthumously to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Upon completion of the agenda, the session was adjourned indefinitely.
The oath-taking ceremony in the Punjab Assembly stirred controversy as opposition members objected to the swearing-in of members to reserved seats. Despite the protests, the ceremony proceeded, highlighting the political tensions and divisions within the assembly. The decision to confer national hero status to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto further added to the contentious atmosphere in the assembly session.
