The newly-elected leaders on Saturday took oath in the maiden session of the National Assembly, marking the first historic transition of power from one democratically elected government to another in the country’s history amid tight security arrangements.
Leaders arrived at the National Assembly accompanied by hundreds of supporters.
The Red Zone area witnessed a massive traffic jam and a bottle-neck situation because of a large number of vehicles carrying members of the parliament and their security personnel to the National Assembly.
All open spaces on the premises and outside the Parliament House remained occupied by vehicles belonging to members, different party workers, journalists and others.
There were so many vehicles that even those on foot faced difficulty entering the Parliament House.
Abid Sher Ali took oath to follow the Constitution by breaking the law; to rush to the National Assembly and to avoid the hot temperatures, he drove his vehicle on a one-way road to reach the National Assembly.
According to an unofficial estimate around, 7000 passes were issued to monitor the session, out of which around 60 passes were issued to media persons who were there to cover the historic event.
Most of the members of the National Assembly tried to boast of their economic strength and their luxurious lifestyles by arriving in big vehicles and expensive dresses indiscriminate of their sexes.
Because of poor arrangements and nepotism, the PID officials as well as the Media Department of the National Assembly kept accommodating their personal guests as well as those accompanying MNAs in account of journalists, barring many newsmen from performing their duties.
Hundreds of bogus media passes issued to people who were not from the media community, whereas large number of journalists had to return because of not being issued with the entree passes.
At the entry gate for people, a crowd seeking entry to the building was unruly and even journalists had to struggle to enter the Assembly Hall.
Newly-elected leaders brought hundreds of their supporters along who caused number of problems for the National Assembly staff because of their unfamiliarity with the rules.
Several high civil and military officials, diplomats and important personalities had also come to witness the proceedings.
As newly-elected members of National Assembly belonging to different political parties started to enter the Assembly Hall, the House echoed with slogans raised by different party workers in support of their leaders.
Different party workers, particularly of PML-N were chanting slogans such as ‘Sher aya, sher aya’, ‘Nawaz aya’, ‘Nawaz Saharif Zindabad’ ‘Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’ through out the proceedings.
Violating the laws and rules of the procedure, some visitors started taking photographs of the session especially when Nawaz Sharif entered the floor for oath taking.
However, unlike the visitors’ gallery, where much enthusiasm was witnessed among supporters of different parties, the press gallery and speaker’s galleries were disciplined though equally overcrowded.
The speaker of the outgoing assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza presided over the proceedings which started an hour and 55 minutes late. Simultaneously taking oath herself as a member, she administered the oath to members.
As many as 301 members took oath in the first sitting which met for two hours and 23 minutes.
The oath was followed by the signing of Roll of Members. The speaker also informed the house about the election of the speaker and the deputy speaker which will be held on Monday.
