ISLAMABAD – National Assembly Speaker Elections – Today marks a significant day in the political landscape of Pakistan as the National Assembly (NA) is set to elect its new speaker and deputy speaker through a secret ballot in Speaker Election. The elections will be overseen by the outgoing NA Speaker, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.
Candidates in the Fray
The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which comprises mostly of PTI backed independents that won the elections, has nominated Malik Aamir Dogar for the speaker’s post². The political party has also submitted nomination papers of Junaid Akbar for the post of deputy speaker.
On the other hand, the allied parties have nominated Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Syed Ghulam Mustafa as candidates for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker, respectively.
The Election Process
The proceedings for the speaker’s elections will be conducted by NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf who will also swear in the newly-elected custodian of the House after the results are announced. Once the newly-elected speaker takes oath, he will then take charge of the house forthwith. Ashraf will, subsequently, step down from his position. The new speaker will conduct the election of the deputy speaker immediately after taking charge.
Boycott by JUI-F for Speaker Elections
In a surprising turn of events, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has announced that his party would not participate in the elections for the top political slots — president, prime minister, and the National Assembly (NA) speaker. The JUI-F leader, speaking to journalists in Islamabad Thursday, said his party would sit in the opposition and its lawmakers would abstain from voting during the upcoming electoral events in the assemblies².
Awaiting Results for Speaker Elections
As the nation holds its breath, the results of these elections will undoubtedly shape the future of Pakistan’s political landscape. The elected individuals will play a crucial role in steering the country towards progress and prosperity.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
