Islamabad is once again brimming with political activity due to the Punjab Chief Minister election scheduled for today at 4:00 pm. As is typical with Pakistani politics, events leading to a major political event are marked with controversies, including fake news.
Since PTI has previously suffered at the hands of MNAs defecting at the end moment, reports emerged that this time around, PTI is taking strict security measures to ensure that none of the MPAs abandon the party at a crucial time. Pertinent to mention that political parties taking part in the election had their MPAs stay at a hotel near the Punjab Assembly.
Read more: Supreme Court to decide fate of rebel PTI MNAs
As a result, fake news is emerging on how strictly PTI is keeping a check on its MPAs, banning them from leaving hotel premises. Twitteratis are making far-fetched claims on PTI’s security measures for its MPAs.
“186 PTI MPAs are in a 5-star hotel where they are being strictly guarded. Every 20 members are taken out for breakfast, then deposited back in their rooms. PTI is so frightened that they are planning to offer Jummah in Assembly because MPAs might run away from the hotel Masjid,” one netizen wrote.
However, Batool Janjua, a PTI MPA for reserved seats for women, debunked the news and advised the netizen to stop spreading fake news.
“I am PTI MPA and nothing like this happened. Don’t spread fake news on a Friday,” Batool Janjua tweeted. Since then, Batool Janjua has been providing real-time updates on PTI MPAs to dispel any rumors. Moments ago she revealed that all PTI MPAs have reached Punjab Assembly.
I am PTI MPA aur aysa kuch nahi hua 🤣🤣
Jummay ka din hy jhuti khabrain na phailain— Batool Janjua (@BatoolJanjua) July 22, 2022
Number game
The clear victory of PTI in the Punjab by-polls had turned around the number game in the Punjab Assembly, with Chaudhry Parvez Elahi now most likely to replace Hamza Shahbaz Sharif as the new chief minister of the province in the coming days.
Almost all the turncoats who joined the PML-N and voted for Hamza Shahbaz Sharif lost to the PTI candidates. PTI grabbed 15 of the total 20 seats in the Punjab by-polls, while PML-N won four seats and the remaining one seat went to an independent candidate.
Read more: Parvez Elahi moves SC against Dost Mazari’s letter
Now, with 15 additional seats, this strength has reached 188 whereas the figure of the simple majority stands at 186. This means the PTI and PML-Q have crossed that landmark.