November 20, 2002	Wednesday	Ramazan 14, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: The Pakistan Muslim League-Q on Tuesday won both the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly in an election marred by allegations of rigging and a joint walkout by the members of PPP, MMA and PML-N.

The PML-Q candidate for the office of Speaker, Chaudhry Amir Hussain, bagged 167 votes, while Sardar Yaqub, candidate for the Deputy Speaker secured 163 votes.

Both the PML-Q candidates secured more votes than the aggregate votes polled by the PPP and MMA candidates, dampening their hopes for run-off elections.

The MMA’s Liaquat Baloch and PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan, who contested speaker’s election, secured 80 and 71 votes, respectively.

In all, 328 votes were cast in the speaker’s election, of which 318 were declared valid.

Announcing the result, the presiding officer Illahi Bakhsh Soomro omitted the total votes polled nor did he announce the fate of 10 votes that on what ground those were not counted. Later, he administered the oath to the new speaker.

Recovery of some blank slips from the two ballot boxes during the counting of votes for speaker’s election prompted members of the PPP, PML-N and MMA to stage a joint walkout, levelling allegations of rigging and manipulation.

The PPP members alleged that the recovery of blank slips showed that some members had exercised their right of vote under coercion. They termed it as the biggest tragedy in the parliamentary history of the country.

Both, Liaquat Baloch and Aitzaz Ahsan, congratulated Amir Hussain on his victory and termed his election as a first step towards democracy. However, they expressed reservations on the method adopted for the purpose.

In his remarks, Liaquat Baloch said the presiding officer had tried to hold election in a transparent manner, but as things turned out this House now demands of the new speaker to investigate that who were the people who tried to tarnish the image of this august house.

He also asked the speaker to take a firm stand on the Legal Framework Order as it could not become a part of the Constitution nor would the House accept it.

Aitzaz Ahsan said the members had made a joke by polling fake votes. He said it would be better if the speaker initiated an inquiry into the incident by constituting a house committee to clear the charges of rigging in the election of the speaker.

In the deputy speaker’s election, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed of MMA got 82 votes and PPP’s Nabeel Gabol bagged 69 votes. Nine votes were declared invalid.

The newly-elected Speaker, Chaudhry Amir Hussain, administered the oath to Sardar Yaqub, who returned to the National Assembly from NA-18, Abbottabad-II.

Earlier, the PML-N withdrew its candidate Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasir in favour of Hafiz Hussain Ahmed.

The polling for the deputy speaker’s election began at 4pm and continued till 9pm. The tally of PML-Q votes was reduced from 167 votes which it bagged in speaker’s elections to 163.

The voting took place in a smooth manner and no blank slips were recovered from the two ballot boxes as had happened during the speaker’s election.

Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain, who conducted the election, gave extra time as some of the members had not turned up in time to cast vote.

The MMA and PPP candidates and their colleagues, however, objected to the speaker’s move.

Speaking on a point of order, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed alleged that the speaker had sent cars to bring the PML-Q members to cast votes. Nabeel Gabol and a number of other members also called upon the speaker not to wait for those members who had gone home.

To the surprise of even his own colleagues, the PML-Q’s prime ministerial candidate, Mir Zafarullah Jamali, asked the speaker not to hold the whole House hostage for few members and direct the assembly staff to carry out the counting.

Chaudhry Pervez Illahi, a potential candidate for the post of Punjab chief minister, was present in the lobby and issuing instructions on his phone to PML-Q members to come and cast their votes.

Earlier, when the assembly resumed its session a number of MNAs from the PPP, PML-N and the MMA raised question about the status of the LFO as in their opinion they had taken the oath under the 1973 Constitution in accordance with the assurance given by the presiding officer.

While four MNAs including Imran Khan, Liaquat Jatoi, Ghaus Bakhsh Mehr and Maulana Mohammed Khan Sherani took oath as they could not take it on Saturday, Arbab Ghulam Rahim of the National Alliance left the House when some members pointed out to the chair about the presence of a stranger. When the chair asked him whether he wanted to take the oath, he replied in the negative and left the House.

Political analysts believed that this pointed to the fact that Arbab Ghulam Rahim was aspiring for the post of Sindh chief minister as he was also elected on a provincial assembly seat.

When the House began its proceedings, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed of MMA, on a point of order asked the House to offer fateha for Aimal Kasi. Being allowed Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said: “We beg to Allah to destroy those who had handed over Kasi to the aliens.”

Shah Mahmud Qureshi on a point of order asked the chair to clarify whether the members were administered the oath under the original 1973 Constitution on Saturday, as the law minister Khalid Ranjha had claimed that the oath had been administered under the Constitution of which the LFO had become a part.

Nasrullah Dareshak of the PML-N pointed out that the presiding officer had told the House that the MNAs would take the oath under the 1973 Constitution, however, the members had not been supplied with the copies of the Constitution so far.

Naheed Khan of the PPP was also harsh on the question of the LFO and said that now an elected parliament had been put in place Gen Musharraf had no right to amend the Constitution through ordinances.

A number of other women MNAs also tried to speak but they were not allowed.

Tehmina Daultana took her former party colleague Sheikh Rashid to task when the latter tried to give a sermon on democracy to the House.

Speaking in fluent English, she said: “This assembly which has come into existence as a result of pre-poll rigging is no more reflective of true democracy.” She said her party had fought for democracy and would continue its struggle in and outside the House. She said her party did not recognise Gen Musharraf as a genuinely elected president.

Illahi Bakhsh Soomro said he had correctly informed the House that Article 64 of the 1973 Constitution under which the oath was being administered was unchanged and he still stood by his point. He said he was of the belief that this House was supreme and nothing was above this.

At this stage a number of members rose from their seats and started speaking at the same time, while a PML-Q member asked the chair not to allow any more points of order.