25
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday announced to nominate its newly-elected Member of National Assembly (MNA) Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for the post of Speaker National Assembly.
Sadiq, a former NA speaker and long time PML-N loyalist, called on the premier at the latter's Raiwind residence today where the prime minister praised his role in keeping democratic traditions alive during his role as a speaker, an MNA and a politician, particularly when his election was challenged by rival Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).
The PM later announced Sadiq's nomination as the PML-N's candidate for the position of Speaker NA.
The office of the NA speaker has been lying vacant since August 22 when an election tribunal declared Sadiq's election from Lahore’s NA-122 seat in the May 2013 election as null and void. The decision had come on a petition submitted by PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
The tribunal had ordered re-polling in the constituency in which Sadiq regained his NA-122 Lahore seat by defeating PTI’s Abdul Aleem Khan in the by-election. It was after his re-election to the seat that he attended a session of the NA on Friday after months.
Related: Ayaz Sadiq takes oath as MNA
PTI announces rival candidate
Earlier on Thursday, PTI had announced to nominate Shafqat Mehmood for the speaker slot.
Announcing the decision, PTI's vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said his party had sensed that fellow opposition parties under some 'understanding' with the government or as part of their so-called politics of reconciliation were not contesting for the position of Speaker NA and therefore PTI had decided to put forth Mehmood's name to keep democratic traditions alive.
Related: PTI nominates Shafqat Mehmood for NA Speaker slot
Comfortable majority
The PML-N has a comfortable majority of 186 members in the 342-seat National Assembly and does not need support of any other party for the election of Speaker NA for which its candidate will require a simple majority.
With 13 members of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam - Fazl (JUI-F), five of PML-F, four of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and a couple of independents, the total number of members on the treasury benches comes to over 210.
On the other hand, the opposition has the strength of a little over 100 members, with 45 belonging to PPP, 33 to PTI and 24 to MQM, the three being the largest parties on opposition benches.
PPP leaders and lawmakers had indicated that they will neither field a candidate nor support an opponent fielded by the PTI if Sadiq was nominated by the PML-N.
Though under the rules, the election to the office of NA Speaker is supposed to take place on the first day of the session, it was missing from the house agenda for Friday.
The house will meet again on Monday to elect the new speaker.
