PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq was elected the National Assembly (NA) speaker with a huge margin in a session that saw noisy, raucous protests by the opposition Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf announced the results for the secret ballot voting for the speaker, during which Sadiq bagged 199 votes out of the 291 total cast. His opponent, SIC's Malik Aamir Dogar, polled 91 votes. He further announced that one of the votes was also rejected.

Following the announcement of the results, Ayaz Sadiq crossed over to his opponent Dogar's seat and greeted him.

It was noted later that 13 members of the assembly did not cast their vote for the election of the speaker. This included eight from the JUI-F who boycotted the election process as well as independent candidate Khawaja Shiraz, BNP-Mengal’s Sardar Akhtar Mengal, PML-N’s Yasmeen Nelson and an MQM-P member.

Farewell address

In his final address before doffing his robe as the speaker, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said it was a historic moment of his life to have administered the oath to the members. "This House is a source of power for the people," he added.

He further told the members that it was their responsibility to find a solution to the problems the country was facing through mutual consultation. "People's eyes are on you. Your every action should be in national interest," Ashraf suggested, adding that the responsibility of upholding the Constitution rested on the members who have been appointed by the nation as guarantors.

The much-anticipated meeting of the National Assembly to elect its speaker and deputy speaker commenced on Friday morning with a slight delay, with the SIC continuing its noisy protest from the previous day against alleged electoral rigging.

Earlier in the day, only a small number of newly elected members managed to reach the Parliament House amidst intermittent rain in Islamabad.

The election for the two offices of the Lower House would be held through a secret ballot, with incumbent Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf chairing the session on his last day in office.

For the speaker's slot, PML-N's Ayaz Sadiq, who has previously held the post, was up against the Sunni Ittehad Council's Malik Aamir Dogar. For the deputy speaker, the contest was between the PPP’s Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Sunni Ittehad Council’s Junaid Akbar.

Assembly proceedings

Sunni Ittehad Council’s Aamir Dogar maintained that they were contesting the elections despite reservations and doubts. “The House is incomplete, yet we want the constitutional and democratic process to complete,” he added.

Omar Ayub said the House was incomplete, while there were strangers in the House on the basis of Form 47. He maintained that these people could not contest or vote in the speaker’s election as they had stolen the people’s mandate. He demanded such people be removed from the House.

Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf stressed that this was not a forum for protest, adding that the members who have been notified by the election commission are respected members of the assembly.

PML-N’s Rana Tanveer Hussain the facts of the election were before everyone, but the opposition did not have the courage to face them. “The 2018 election was the worst and most rigged election,” he alleged.

He remarked that the SIC did not even contest the elections, adding that Omar Ayub has moved around in all the parties.

The speaker said that the issue of reserved seats was being heard by the election commission and the parties could then approach the courts, but this was not the forum for protest. The speaker maintained that never in history has it happened that Form 45 has been counted. He then advised the Sunni Ittehad Council members to take their seats.

Meanwhile, the political workers creating a ruckus in the galleries were evicted from the assembly on the orders of the speaker. He said these people were shouting slogans from the guests lobbies. "The sanctity of the House should be maintained," he declared.

As soon as PML-N leader and prime minister in waiting Shehbaz Sharif entered the assembly, party supporters and PTI workers engaged in a verbal clash with each other, with the latter shouting “chor chor”.

The Sunni Ittehad Council members, including Sher Afzal Marwat, waved shoes at Shehbaz, who left the building soon after casting his vote for the speaker’s election.

The speaker took notice and remarked that waving shoes and using foul language in the assembly did not suit anyone, and urged the members to desist from such steps.

After the voting process culminated, two new members of the assembly were administered the oath by the speaker, bringing the total strength of the House to 304.

Hooligan evicted from House

The SIC members then gathered in front of the speaker's dais, and demanded to speak on a point of order. He assured Omar Ayub of being given the opportunity to speak. Omar Ayub also demanded that the person who created a ruckus in the assembly be arrested.

“We will bring a privilege motion in the House in this regard. Yesterday too, foul language was used in the House,” he remarked, asking the speaker to find out who sponsored this person.

He further demanded that an FIR also be filed against this person and that he be banned from entering parliament for life.

Arrivals

Istehkam-e-Pakistan President Abdul Aleem Khan, MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, PPP’s Naveed Qamar, PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi as well as Tahira Aurangzeb, Ijaz Jakhrani, Attaullah Tarar and Sharmila Faruqi are among the first few members to reach the assembly.

Some other newly minted MNAs to have reached the House include Nausheen Iftikhar, Sardar Yousuf, Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Qaiser Sheikh, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Malik Abrar, Aun Chaudhry, Zeb Jaffar, Shaza Fatima, Farah Altaf and Bilal Kayani.

'Protest to continue'

Sunni Ittehad Council’s Latif Khosa has said that they will continue their protest in the assembly today also, adding that their demand from the first day has been to restore the public mandate.

“Despite reservations, we will not leave the field open for our opponents. They will not be allowed to be act arbitrarily and play with Pakistan's destiny,” Khosa asserted.

He further maintained that until it becomes a representative house, it will not have legal, constitutional, or moral status.

PML-N leader and candidate for the speaker’s slot, Ayaz Sadiq, told the media outside Parliament House that everybody is a brother and there is no enmity with anyone. Contesting elections against each other is the beauty of democracy, and it is the duty of every member to create a positive environment in the assembly.

“The parliament belongs to both the government and the opposition. It has never been easy to run an assembly’s affairs; it is a huge responsibility. A speaker has to sit with a lot of patience and order,” he remarked.

'No one better than Zardari'

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharmila Farooqui said outside the Parliament House that there could be no better candidate than Asif Ali Zardari for the presidential election. She has also urged all parties to vote for the former president.

Despite the scheduled start time passing, the arrival of members continued at a slow pace, possibly hindered by the ongoing light downpour in the capital city. The reduced number of vehicles in the typically bustling Red Zone further underscored the impact of the weather on the day's proceedings.

Security measures in the Red Zone appeared somewhat relaxed compared to previous days, with a noticeable decrease in the usual rush of activity. However, as members trickled in, anticipation remains high for the crucial election process to begin.

The delay in the assembly's session highlights the challenges posed by inclement weather and logistical considerations, underscoring the importance of flexibility in parliamentary proceedings.

As the day progresses, all eyes remain on the Parliament House, awaiting the culmination of the election for the National Assembly's speaker and deputy speaker.