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Thursday March 28, 2024

NA session commences today sans deputy speaker

By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
September 30, 2019

ISLAMABAD: The 15th session of the National Assembly is commencing today (Monday) without deputy speaker of the House which is a constitutional post.

The Election Tribunal has de-notified the election of former Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri of the PTI on Friday last as member of National Assembly on account of massive rigging. Consequently, he ceases to be member of the House and also lost the post of the Deputy Speaker.

The day Qasim Suri was ousted from the membership, he was acting speaker of the National Assembly in the absence of speaker Asad Qaisar, who was in a Central Asian state for an international conference.

The rule of business of the National Assembly provides that once the office of the speaker/deputy speaker becomes vacant, the election for the replacement should take place as soon possible.

Well placed parliamentary sources told The News here Sunday that the Speaker secretariat has failed in giving schedule for the election of the deputy speaker due to the influence of the ruling party since its leaders are working to obtain injunction against the Tribunal verdict so that the announcement of the schedule has not been yet announced.

The sources said that the National Assembly Secretariat has announced the agenda for the first day proceedings that is for today, but the election of the deputy speaker isn’t part of the agenda.

The sources said that the schedule is being delayed for providing opportunity to counsel of the ousted deputy speaker to approach the superior court/authorities for seeking stay.

The Speaker Secretariat isn’t prepared to subscribe the impression and has maintained that the process of election of new deputy speaker of the National Assembly would be initiated upon the receipt of verdict of de-notification, and it may start today (Monday).

Meanwhile, sources said that the ruling party would designate Aslam Bhutani or Israr Khan Tareen, both are from Balochistan, as candidate for the vacant slot in case the elections are held.

The opposition will also bring joint candidate from Balochsitan as Qasim Suri was from that province. His name and pictures were present on the National Assembly web as deputy speaker and member of the house till late Sunday evening.