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September 07, 2008	Sunday	Ramazan 06, 1429

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LAHORE, Sept 6: The presidential election in the Punjab Assembly was a fun for the PML-N and the PPP MPAs who ignored warnings from the presiding officer, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Sayed Zahid Hussain.

Those of the PML-Q remained in low key and raised slogans of “lota” whenever a party’s forward bloc member stood to cast his or her vote.

The proceedings started at 10am and the first vote was cast by PML-Q’s Amer Sultan Cheema. PML-N’s polling agent was Rana Mashood, PPP’s Tanvir Ashraf Kaira and PML-Q’s Mian Shafi.

PML-Q’s Najaf Abbas Sial was welcomed with chants of “lota” when he stood to cast his vote, and was made a laughing stock when he could not present his assembly identity card before voting.

Rana Mashood said Mr Sial could not cast his vote without the card. But the returning officer allowed him to cast the vote. A similar permission was also given to Ms Amna Buttar who could not produce her identity card.

PML-N MPAs clapped when the name of Mian Shahbaz Sharif was called for voting. Their enthusiasm died down when he did not turn up. Finally, they gave him a standing ovation when he entered the house at 1.20pm.

They raised spirited slogans “Sher Aya” (the lion has come), provoking the PPP MPAs to chant “Zardari Sab Per Bhari” (Zardari dominates everyone), “Zinda Hey BB Zinda Hey”.

A number of MPAs from both sides, especially PPP women, stood on their seats to compete in a friendly match of sloganeering which lacked animosity. They finally stopped when beckoned by Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Raja Riaz.

At one point the presiding officer asked the MPAs exchanging slogans and pleasantries to maintain decorum. And when someone blew a whistle he got angry and remarked: “I’m here for a day and may not be compelled to enforce rules.”

The presiding officer threatened to cancel the votes when PPP’s polling agent claimed that two PML-N women MPAs had waved their marked ballot papers to their party stalwarts before putting them into the ballot box.

Upon this polling was stopped for five minutes but the two women were allowed to cast their votes after a mutual agreement.

The last vote was cast by Mr Kaira at 3:20pm, following which the returning officer sent everyone out to start counting, which was completed in nearly 90 minutes.

The result was announced first by Raja Riaz and then by the polling agents as the presiding officer left the assembly quietly.