PPP’s Raja Pervez elected NA speaker unopposed

Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has been elected Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) unopposed as no candidate filed nomination papers for the top assembly slot. 

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, who had previously served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, is ready to assume the office of the National Assembly speaker today after being elected unopposed. 

PPP leaders Khursheed Shah and Naveed Qamar had signed nomination papers as proposer and seconder. While, no candidate filed nominations on behalf of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). 

Till the stipulated time, no other candidate filed the nomination with the National Assembly secretary.

The NA speaker’s office fell vacant on April 9 when PTI’s Asad Qaiser resigned, stating that he cannot hold voting on the no-confidence against the then Prime Minister Imran Khan—terming it a part of a “foreign conspiracy”. 

Qaiser then handed over the chair to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Ayaz Sadiq, who supervised the process. 

It is pertinent to mention here that, the NA will meet today instead of April 22, to elect the new speaker and move a resolution of no-confidence against the deputy speaker. 

Agenda of the day includes voting on a motion for the removal of Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri.

Election of the new speaker and oath taking of speaker-elect are also included in the agenda.

Qasim Suri had adjourned the meeting on April 16 and called a meeting on April 22. It is to be noted that in the previous NA session, Speaker Asad Qaiser tendered his resignations amid an impasse over a parliamentary vote to oust then Prime Minister Imran Khan. 

The crucial session of the house began at 10:30 am (11:00 IST) with Speaker Qaiser. Since then, the session was adjourned thrice.