ISLAMABAD: The newly elected members of National Assembly will elect Speaker, Deputy Speaker of the house today. Voting for the new speaker of the House is underway following outgoing Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf called on the newly elected members to begin casting their vote in alphabetical order. It added that the election for the office of prime minister of Pakistan will be held on Sunday.
Former speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Ghulam Mustafa Shah are the joint candidates of the allied parties for the slot of the speaker and deputy speaker, respectively.
On the other hand, PTI-backed MNA Amir Dogar is the joint candidate for the position of the National Assembly speaker and Junaid Akbar is their candidate for the slot of the deputy speaker.
As the parliamentary session commenced, Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf began reading out the rules of business. However, the proceedings were quickly interrupted as PTI-SIC MNAs Omar Ayub and Barrister Gohar raised a point of order, demanding the removal of “strangers” from the assembly.
Opposition members erupted in slogans, refusing to heed the speaker and treasury members. Omar Ayub and Barrister Gohar prominently displayed posters of the PTI founder, advocating for his release from prison. Ayub also highlighted the plight of Aliya Hamza, who remains incarcerated despite winning an election.
Barrister Gohar Khan emphasized that the lower house of parliament was “incomplete” due to the unallocated reserved seats for the Sunni Ittehad Council. Addressing Speaker Ashraf, he stressed the speaker’s responsibility as the custodian of the House, urging proactive engagement with the issue.
Quoting Article 51, Gohar argued that the House must be fully constituted, including reserved seats for women and non-Muslims, before any proceedings could continue.
Omar Ayub echoed the sentiment, objecting to the parliamentary session proceeding in an incomplete state. He questioned the legitimacy of the proceedings without the presence of female members, emphasizing the need for justice and the inclusion of rightful representatives.
Amidst applause from PTI-backed lawmakers, Ayub called for the recognition of the party’s stance on the matter.
When PML-N member Rana Tanveer attempted to deliver a speech, PTI-SIC members raised slogans, prompting the speaker to appeal for order.
Following this disruption, the speaker redirected the session towards its agenda. Despite initial boycotts by MQM-P, persuasion from Ayaz Sadiq led to their participation in the voting process.
Subsequently, the voting commenced for the election of the speaker, with the ballot box sealed to ensure secrecy in the voting process.
