In a setback to ousted Pakistan premier Imran Khan, Hamza Shehbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was declared the winner in the election to the post of Chief Minister of Punjab province on Friday though his PML-N party did not have a majority in the Assembly after key by-elections this week.

Hamza Shehbaz managed to retain the post of Punjab province Chief Minister by the barest of margins after Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari rejected 10 crucial votes of his rival candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s party PML-Q on ‘technical grounds.

Deputy Speaker Mazari who presided over the crucial session on Friday that began after a three-hour delay rejected 10 votes citing Article 63-A of the Constitution of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), an ally of ousted prime minister Khan, and declared Hamza victorious.

In the 368-member Punjab Assembly, Hamza’s party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) received 179 votes, while Elahi’s party garnered 176 votes, but only after 10 votes of Elahi’s own party were not counted, after party head Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain issued a letter.

“I give a ruling to reject 10 votes of PML-Q as its chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has written me a letter declaring that his party lawmakers should not vote for the PTI-PMLQ candidate. I had spoken to Shujaat by phone and he confirmed that it is his letter,” Mazari said, adding that Hamza had retained the spot of Punjab province Chief Minister by three votes.

The PTI-PMLQ lawmakers protested the ruling of the deputy speaker.

Following Mazari's decision to disregard the 10 votes of PML-Q members — a move that allowed Hamza to retain his post as the chief minister of Punjab — PTI said that it would approach the Supreme Court to challenge the decision.

Elahi said he would challenge this decision in the Supreme Court as the deputy speaker violated the court’s order.

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chairman Khan had warned that if the state machinery used to steal public mandate it will lead the country to a Sri Lanka-like situation.

“If the state machinery is used to steal public mandate the reaction of the masses will lead Pakistan to a Sri Lanka-like situation? I will not be able to control people in such a scenario," Khan said.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz said what her party did on Friday was a tit-for-tat response to Khan’s party.

"PML-N has not forgotten the treatment meted out to them. Now the rules of the game will be the same for everyone, else PML-N knows how to play it better," Nawaz said in a tweet.?

(Inputs from PTI)