Islamabad (Web Desk): The newly elected members of the National Assembly (MNAs) took oath on Thursday amid protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed lawmakers.
The maiden session of the assembly began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an which was followed by the swearing-in of the members.
National Assembly’s outgoing speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered the oath to the lawmakers-elect.
The speaker then asked all the legislators to proceed to the speaker’s desk to sign the roll of members in alphabetical order.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Nawaz Sharif, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif , Pakistan Peeoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, senior leaders, Asif Ali Zardari and Yusuf Raza Gillani, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PTI leaders including former NA speaker Asad Qaiser and party’s senior Omar Ayub Khan, and Istehkam-e-Pakistan’s (IPP) senior leader, Abdul Aleem Khan, were all present in the assembly for the oath-taking.
Meanwhile, the outgoing NA speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Thursday announced the schedule for the elections of the speaker and deputy speaker’s slots.
The elections for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker are scheduled to take place on Friday (March 1, 2024).
According to Article 53 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the National Assembly is mandated to elect a Speaker and Deputy Speaker at its first meeting following a general election, with the process taking precedence over any other business.
The voting process will be conducted through a secret ballot, with the candidate receiving the majority of votes being elected as the new speaker of the House.
Subsequently, the new speaker will announce the schedule for the deputy speaker’s election which will follow the same procedure as the secret ballot.
Strict security measures were implemented to ensure the safety of the session, with heavy contingents of police and Rangers deployed outside the Parliament House, and entry for unauthorized individuals onto the premises was prohibited.
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has nominated Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for the position of Speaker of the National Assembly on behalf of his party, while Bilawal Bhutto nominated Ghulam Mustafa Shah as the candidate for NA deputy speaker on behalf of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
On the other hand, PTI nominated Aamir Dogar for the position of NA speaker while PTI’s Junaid Khan will contest for the post of deputy speaker.