Keep thy swords in sheaths

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has advised his party leaders against making harsh statements against any political party, as they have to make their government and run it too.

Speaking to the media outside the Banigala residence of Imran Khan on Thursday, PTI Karachi President Firdous Shamim Naqvi quoted the party chief as saying, “Sheathe your swords, as we have to make government and run it too.”

Naqvi said the PTI’s main agenda right now was to form a government wherever they could, while party leader Khurram Zaman said the most important task for them right now was to “save Sindh from the Pakistan People’s Party”.

Naqvi on Sunday said the alliance with the MQM-P was made due to certain necessities.

Addressing a press conference, Naqvi had said that he stood by his accusations levelled against the MQM and the party went into alliance with the MQM because they had not enough party votes to get Imran elected as leader of the house in the National Assembly. The comments generated a strong response from the MQM-P.

PTI leader Naeemul Haq later said Naqvi's remarks did not reflect the party policy.

Meanwhile, President Mamnoon Hussain Thursday signed a summary moved by the caretaker Prime Minister Justice (R) Nasirul Mulk Thursday for summoning the National Assembly session on August 13.

As per requirement of the Constitution, the National Assembly is to meet within 21 days after the polling day.

The president has also been requested to postpone his foreign trip slated for August 16.

Article 91 (2) of the Constitution says the National Assembly shall meet on the twenty-first day following the day on which a general election to the assembly is held, unless sooner summoned by the president.

The MNAs-elect after taking oath will elect the speaker and deputy speaker followed by the election of prime minister.

After administering oath to the members, the outgoing Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will conduct election of his successor.

In the absence of Speaker, a person nominated by a president will chair the proceedings. The new custodian of the House will take oath from his predecessor. The new speaker will conduct elections of the deputy speaker and new Leader of the House.

The PTI and its allies have nominated Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi for the prime minister, while Ms Zartaj Gul Wazir who defeated Awais Khan Leghari in NA-191 Dera Ghazi Khan is likely candidate of deputy speaker.

According to Rules and Procedures to Conduct Business of the House, every nomination paper shall be delivered by the candidate or his proposer or seconder to the secretary of the National Assembly by 2 pm on the day preceding the day on which the election of the prime minister is to be held.

The grand opposition has nominated Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Syed Khursheed Shah and Asad Mehmood for the Leader of the House, speaker and deputy speaker.

According to the PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry, following his election as the prime minister, Imran Khan will take oath of his office between August 15 and 17.

Our Peshawar bureau adds: In a related development, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra Thursday summoned the provincial assembly’s session on Monday, August 13 at 10am.

The order said, "In exercise of the power conferred by clause (a) of Article 109 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, I, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, hereby summon the provincial assembly to meet on Monday, 13 August, 2018 at 10 hours in the assembly building, Khyber Road Peshawar Cantonment, for oath taking of its members, election and oath of speaker and deputy speaker and for election of chief minister of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa."