ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was elected the National Assembly speaker and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah was elected deputy speaker on Friday.
Sadiq became the 23rd speaker of the parliament’s lower house after he bagged 199 votes, defeating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) candidate Malik Aamir Dogar, who bagged 91 votes. Later, Shah secured 197 votes and defeated Junaid Akbar, who bagged 92 votes.
Outgoing speaker Raja Parvez Ashraf administered the oath to Sadiq, while the newly-elected speaker administered the oath to Shah.
After the oath-taking, the new speaker thanked the leaders of all major political parties for reposing trust in his leadership.
In his address to the lawmakers, Sadiq assured the opposition members of running the affairs of the house with fairness.
“I am thankful to Allah (SWT) for being elected for the third time in this position. I am thankful to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif for nominating me,” he said.
The NA speaker said: “Aamir Dogar has always called me a big brother and I will show him by becoming a big brother.” “My doors are open for everyone.”
The PML-N leader said he would try to create a consensus in politics with the help of all stakeholders. He urged both sides of the aisle to have differences but in a democratic way.
The prime minister’s election is all set to take place on March 3 (Sunday) and PML-N’s Shehbaz Sharif is in a comfortable to get elected to the top office for the second consecutive time.
The NA session was convened today to elect the speaker and deputy speaker during which opposition lawmakers chanted slogans against alleged rigging in the Feb 8 polls.
Before the session started SIC’s parliamentary party meeting was held in the house’s lobby, where they vowed to continue their protest in the assembly.
This is the second consecutive day that SIC has been protesting in the National Assembly over “rigged” results.
As the session began, former speaker Ashraf asked if there were any new members present who had missed the oath-taking a day earlier.
