LAHORE, Aug 15 (INP): At least 358 newly-elected members of Punjab Assembly were administered oath on Wednesday by outgoing speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal during the first session that begun after a delay of 46 minutes.

Several members took oath including Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Aleem Khan, Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Salman Rafique, Ayesha Chaudhry, Chaudhry Zaheerud Din, Bilal Yasin, Nadeem Kamran, Irfan Doltana, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Manshaullah Butt, Murad Ras, Dr Mukhtar Bharat, Zakia Shahnawaz, Uzma Bukhari, Hina Pervaiz Butt, Bushra Anjum Butt and Sania Ashiq.

[timed-content-server show="08/16/2018 01:00 Asia/Karachi"]However; estranged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Chaudhry Nisar did not attend the session. New elected member of Punjab Assembly Zainabun Nisa from Rawalpindi with holding her leader ousted prime minister and imprisoned Nawaz Sharif’s picture of big size tried to enter Punjab Assembly for taking oath but security forces deployed outside the assembly did not allowed her to take picture inside the assembly according to law. The security personnel snatched the picture from her but she chanted slogans in the favour of Nawaz Sharif and staged protest saying that she will not take oath as protest if she was not allowed to enter into assembly along with Nawaz Sharif’s Picture as Election commission will de-notified her membership. Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab Dr Hassan Askari and his cabinet attended the session and welcomed the new members. Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly will be chosen today(Thursday) through secret balloting. The nomination papers for the aforementioned slots submitted. The PTI has nominated Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as Speaker and Dost Muhammad Mazari as deputy speaker. On the contrary, PML-N nominated Chaudhry Iqbal Gujjar for speaker’s slot. The PTI has 175 members in the assembly, PML-Q 10, PML-N 162 and PPP10. Rah-e-Haq party has one member while three independent members are present. Election results from three constituencies are pending while it has been halted from other three. Seven seats of Punjab Assembly were vacated after the member chose to take oath from National Assembly seat. Strict security arrangements have been made on the occasion. Help desk have been formed on the entrance gate. INP/LK[/timed-content-server]