News Analysis |
The 15th National Assembly of Pakistan will elect its speaker and deputy speaker today. The much-anticipated election for this coveted position will be held through secret ballot. The National Assembly will resume its session today after the oath-taking ceremony of the MNAs on August 13.
After the July 25 elections –Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the majority party in the lower house. It has nominated former Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly Asad Qaiser as its speaker candidate. While the joint opposition has fielded Syed Khursheed Shah for the post. For the deputy speaker, PTI has named Qasim Suri, while the grand opposition alliance has nominated MMA leader Asad Mahmood for the slot.
PTI is confident of its victory in t0day’s elections and Grand Opposition Alliance believes that Khursheed Shah will be the winning candidate today
Outgoing Speaker Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq announced the process of the voting. He announced that voters can either use the pen and cross with a pen or use the stamp to vote. PTI senior leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi requested the Speaker to ask the voters to the only stamp in front of the candidate of choice, to avoid any confusion.
On a lighter note, and rather sarcastically, the speaker remarked that, if the difference between the winning and losing candidates will be less than 5%, we will even allow the recount, and form-45 will also be provided to the polling agents.
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Two booths are established on the left and right side of Speakers desk for the voting. Before the start of voting, at the request of the speaker, the empty were displayed in front of all the stakeholders. Polling Agents were asked to check the boxes and show the house before sealing them.
All those who did not take oath on August 13, took it today, before the voting. Pakistan People’s Party Co. Chairman and the former President Asif Ali Zardari was the first in the Alphabetical order who was called upon to cast the vote. But he was not present in the house.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the majority party in the lower house. It has nominated former Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly Asad Qaiser as its speaker candidate
The names of the MNAs were called one by one to come and cast their votes on booth 1 and 2, respectively. The MNAs which are not present in the lower house and did not cast the vote on their turn will be allowed to cast the vote during the stipulated time of the session.
The PML-N president reached the parliament late after visiting the convicted criminal Nawaz Sharif in the accountability court II. While speaking with the media, he bashed Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) for conducting one of the most rigged elections in the history of Pakistan. Shahbaz claimed that he has reached the lower house after taking consent from Supreme leader Nawaz to vote.
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PTI is confident of its victory in t0day’s elections and Grand Opposition Alliance believes that Khursheed Shah will be the winning candidate today. If this happens, it will be the first time since 1985-when opposition’s nominee and Pakistan Muslim League leader, Fakhar Imam, was elected the national assembly speaker on 22 March 1985.