Senior PML-N party leader elected as Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly

Islamabad: A senior party member of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was elected as the Speaker of the newly-formed National Assembly on Friday.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, secured 199 votes out of a total of 291 votes cast.

Sadiq beat his rival Amir Dogar, who got only 91 votes amid commotion caused by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) members. Dogar was backed by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party who is currently serving jail term in various cases.

The outgoing speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that a total of 291 votes were cast, out of which one was “invalid” and the rest were declared “valid.” 

Imran Khan and his party members have not only alleged rigging in the February 8 polls, but also accused PML-N and its alliance partners, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of stealing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) mandate.

Khan's PTI backed independent candidates won 93 National Assembly seats. Nawaz’s PML-N won 75 seats, the PPP came third with 54 seats while 17 seats were won by Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P).

In the current scenario, it was likely that the PML-N-backed candidate would hold the Speaker’s position as Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N tied up with the PPP and other four smaller parties to keep Khan's PTI out of power.

Meanwhile, the election of the prime minister would be held on Sunday. The PMN-L and PPP alliance has nominated former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif as their nominee.

The election for the new President will take place on March 9. PPP leader and former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari is expected to be re-elected to the post after a gap of nearly 11 years.