PTI’s Asad Qaiser sworn in as NA speaker amid PML-N ruckus

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser was elected as the speaker of National Assembly on Wednesday. He was contesting against Khursheed Shah from the Pakistan Peoples Party.

Qaiser received 176 votes to be elected to the speakership, whereas Shah got 146 votes. A total of 330 votes were cast, out of which 322 were accepted and eight were rejected.

The PTI leader was administered oath by outgoing speaker Ayaz Sadiq, following which the election for the slot of deputy speaker will be held.

PML-N MNAs protesting after Asad Qasier’s election as National Assembly speaker – Photo: Geo News
Opposition members from the PML-N chanted slogans during the oath-taking and displayed posters of their quaid Nawaz Sharif, who is serving sentence in prison following his conviction in Avenfield corruption reference. MNAs from the Pakistan Peoples Party which is also sitting in opposition remained silent during this period.

Asad Qaiser, who previously served as speaker for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, won NA-18 Swabi I and PK-44 Swabi 2 constituencies on the PTI’s ticket during the July 25 general election.

Qaiser belongs to the Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and graduated from the University of Peshawar before moving on to a career in education. He joined the PTI in 1996, prior to which he was a member of the Jamaat-e-Islami’s student wing. In the PTI, he served as district president of Swabi and provincial president of the party.

The 15th National Assembly resumed session earlier today under the chairmanship of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

The elections for the positions were held through secret ballot.

For deputy speaker, PTI has named Qasim Suri while the joint opposition has nominated Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal leader Asad Mahmood.

Imran Khan talking to Sardar Ayaz Sadiq (seated) as he cast his vote
Among those who cast the votes were PTI chairman and prime minister-in-waiting Imran Khan, and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who has been elected to the National Assembly for the first time.

Before the elections for speakership got under way, the five MNA-elects who were yet to take oath of their office were sworn in, taking the tally of elected MNAs to 329.

Mushtaq Ghani elected KP Assembly speaker
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly elected PTI nominee Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani as speaker. He secured the position with 81 votes.

Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani
Ghani’s rival, Awami National Party nominee Laiq Muhammad Khan, received 27 votes in contrast.

PTI’s Mehmood Jan defeated PML-N’s Jamshed Mohmand to claim the slot of deputy speaker. He received 78 votes, while his opponent got 30 votes.

Agha Siraj Durrani re-elected Sindh Assembly speaker
Pakistan Peoples Party leader Agha Siraj Durrani was re-elected speaker of Sindh Assembly today.

Agha Siraj Durrani
With 96 votes, he defeated MQM-P’s Javed Hanif (59 votes) to retain his post.

PPP has nominated Rehana Leghari for deputy speakership, while the joint opposition has fielded PTI’s Rabia Azfar Nizami for the post.

The Balochistan Assembly will elect its speaker and deputy speaker on Thursday.