The National Assembly (NA) elected on Friday Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Ayaz Sadiq as its speaker.
Sadiq faced off against Malik Aamir Dogar of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) for the role of NA speaker, securing 199 votes compared to his opponent’s 91. Dogar was nominated by the PTI.
This isn’t Sadiq’s first stint as NA speaker; he previously served from June 2013 to August 2015 and again from November 2015 to August 2018.
Voting for the speaker’s role commenced earlier in the day under the direction of outgoing Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, with newly elected lawmakers casting their votes in alphabetical order. Following his victory, Sadiq was sworn in by Ashraf.
Meanwhile, the contest for the deputy speaker’s position is between PPP’s Ghulam Mustafa Shah and SIC’s Junaid Akbar.
In his first address as speaker, Sadiq called for cooperation between the government and the opposition for Pakistan’s advancement. He stressed the importance of differences being constructive for the nation’s benefit rather than personal conflicts.
In a social media post, he emphasized unity for Pakistan’s progress, urging individuals of differing perspectives to come together to strengthen the nation.
The National Assembly Secretariat announced the schedule for electing the Prime Minister of Pakistan, set for Sunday, March 3, 2024. Nomination papers can be submitted until Saturday, March 2, 2024, at 2:00 pm.
In protest, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman declared a boycott of the election process for NA speaker, deputy speaker, prime minister, and president, affirming the party’s intention to sit on the opposition benches in parliament.
