PTI nominates Qasim Suri for NA deputy speaker

–MNA from Balochistan says his nomination will help remove sense of deprivation in Baloch people

–PTI nominates Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari for Punjab Assembly deputy speaker slot

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday nominated Member of National Assembly (MNA) from Balochistan, Qasim Suri for the post of NA deputy speaker.

The party’s decision was announced by its nominee for the slot of NA speaker, Asad Qaiser, at a press conference in the federal capital.

Qaiser said that Suri is from Balochistan and is a member of the PTI.

“Suri has been in contact with opposition parties in this regard,” Qaiser said.

Speaking on the occasion, Suri said that he was grateful for the opportunity provided to him and that his nomination would help curb the sense of deprivation in Balochistan.

“Imran Khan has trusted me and we will try to run the NA in an amicable manner,” Suri said.

The joint opposition, comprising 11 political parties, has already fielded Syed Khursheed Shah for the NA speaker slot and MMA President Fazlur Rehman’s son Asadur Rehman for the post of deputy speaker.

Meanwhile, PTI has also nominated Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari for the slot of deputy speaker in Punjab Assembly.

Earlier in the day, in the maiden session of the 15th National Assembly, members of the Lower House of Parliament were administered the oath by outgoing NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, setting the stage for the country’s third consecutive democratic transition of power.

Prime minister-in-waiting and PTI Chairman Imran Khan and other prominent political leaders, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and former president Asif Ali Zardari, were present in the assembly for the oath-taking.

According to the rules of business of the House, the outgoing speaker (Ayaz Sadiq) will hold the election process for the incoming speaker.

As per the rules, if there are two candidates for the chair of the speaker, then the one who secures more votes will be declared elected. Similarly, if both secure an equal number of votes, a fresh ballot shall be carried out until one of them secures more votes.

The outgoing speaker will take oath from the newly-elected speaker and hand the charge of the House to him. The newly-elected speaker will hold a similar secret balloting process for the election of the deputy speaker and after his or her election the latter will take the oath.

The speaker is considered custodian of the House and as per the rules he is supposed to preserve the order and decorum in the house and in case of disturbance or disorder in the galleries, may cause them to be cleared.

And subsequently, in the absence of speaker, deputy speaker will have those powers to run the House.