ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People Party (PPP) leader and former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has been elected unopposed as Speaker National Assembly.
Ashraf submitted his nomination papers for the National Assembly speaker’s slot. No other candidate submitted nomination papers until the deadline, leading to Ashraf being elected unopposed.
Asharf’s name was suggested by Syed Khursheed Shah and endorsed by former finance minister Naveed Qamar.
The seat fell vacant after Speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser resigned minutes before voting on the no-confidence motion against former prime minister Imran Khan.
Qaiser delayed the session and resigning minutes before midnight in political drama as the Supreme Court’s deadline for holding the vote on the no-trust motion was about to end. Following his resignation, PML-N MNA Ayaz Sadiq chaired the session to vote Imran Khan out of power.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 22 June 2012 until completing his designated term on 16 March 2013. Prior to being elevated as prime minister, he served as the Minister for Water and Power in the Yousaf Raza Gillani-led government. He assumed assumed premiership after Gillani was disqualified over contempt of court charges.
On 15 January 2013, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered his arrest after being accused of kickbacks from rental power plants. None of the accused in the rental case has been convicted so far. Ashraf has denied all charges.
