Women, minority MPAs take oath on Punjab reserved seats in ruckus-marred session

The Punjab Assembly echoed with chants and noises by the Opposition, as women and minority members were sworn in on Friday as Members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAs) on reserved seats.

At least 21 women and three members of minority communities took their oath administered by the Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan, as the provincial assembly's session remained impacted after disorder in the provincial legislature by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council lawmakers.

"These seats were our right, which was taken away from us and given to other parties," the Opposition members said while standing before the speaker's dice and chanting slogans.

Since the conduct of the February 8 general elections, the PTI-backed SIC members have been demanding their right to the reserved seats in the National and Punjab assemblies, alleging that their mandate was stolen following the polls in the province and other parts of the country.

A day earlier, the SIC Chairman Hamid Raza moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) to claim the party's right to reserved seats in the NA, stating that the electoral authority is neither a tribunal nor a court.

The plea further requested that the SIC must get the reserved seats as per the proportion of seats in the Punjab Assembly.

However, the registrar's office of the LHC raised objections to their petition pertaining to the court's jurisdiction in hearing the case.

"Objections related to jurisdiction will be dealt with on the judicial side," said LHC judge Abid Aziz.