ISLAMABAD: PML-N leader and aspirant for National Assembly Speaker slot Sardar Ayaz Sadiq submitted his nomination papers for the coveted post Sunday morning.
Speaking to the press outside the NA, Sadiq, who was sworn in as an MNA on Friday, expressed gratitude at being nominated for the post by party leader and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Ayaz Sadiq was deseated by an election tribunal in August which accepted Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's petition challenging the 2013 General Election result.
He had defeated Imran Khan during the 2013 polls, and reclaimed his seat by contesting against PTI's Aleem Khan in the NA-122 by-polls.
Nawaz nominated Sardar Ayaz Sadiq as the PML-N candidate for the post of NA speaker during a meeting at the premier’s Jati Umrah residence in Raiwind on Saturday.
PML-N sources said the prime minister had asked Ayaz Sadiq to file nomination papers for the election of speakership scheduled to be held on Monday.
Nawaz was quoted as telling Sadiq to continue his efforts to maintain the status and decorum of parliament.
Sadiq also expressed gratitude to all parliamentary parties that had announced their support and intention to vote for him. He named Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML-Q's Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Awami National Party's (ANP) Ghulam Ahmed Bilour and PML-Z's Ijazul Haq, among others.
He also spoke of support from the PML-F, MQM and Jamaat-i-Islami.
He said that if he regained the position of Speaker, he would remain unbiased and fulfil the demands of the role better than he had during his past tenure as Speaker.
"Whether someone votes for me or not, I will not consider them a separate group," he said.
"What Sheh Mehmood Qureshi said was inappropriate," he said, responding to a question regarding the PTI leader's call for Speaker elections to be held before Sadiq was sworn in as MNA.
"If a party member wins an election and comes to the House... He is a stranger in the House until he takes oath. You are aware of why he objected to Speaker elections," he said. "I wasn't even nominated for Speaker then. He didn't want me to take oath and become Speaker," he claimed.
The PTI has nominated Shafqat Mahmood as its candidate for the post. He filed his nomination papers on Friday. Syed Ghazi Ghulab Jamal from Fata is also in the running for the Speaker slot.
