ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-nominated Asad Qaiser has been elected as the 20th Speaker of the 342-member National Assembly respectively.
Asad Qaiser received 176 votes in the election held through the secret ballot in the Lower House of the Parliament in Islamabad on Wednesday.
اسد قیصر15ویں قومی اسمبلی کے 21 ویں سپیکر منتخب
انہوں نے سید خورشیداحمد شاہ کے 146 ووٹوں کے مقابلے میں 176 ووٹ حاصل کیے@NAofPakistan @PTIofficial pic.twitter.com/ycok4sPPYJ— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) August 15, 2018
His opponent Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Syed Khursheed Shah – the Candidate of the Joint Opposition for the Slot – bagged 146 votes.
Prior to it, Asad Qaiser also remained the Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from 2013 to 2018, and after he won the elections 2018 from NA-18 Swabi-I, he was nominated by the PTI for the Speakership.
Speakers of National Assembly of Pakistan
1947 to date@NAofPakistan pic.twitter.com/PingzKkPuw— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) August 15, 2018
Before announcing the results, he Outgoing Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq congratulated all parliamentarians over the successful completion of the process. He said that the Parliament moves forward with the help of the government and the opposition.
Ayaz Sadiq said that a total of 330 votes were cast in the National Assembly Speaker election, out of which 322 were declared valid while eight votes were rejected.
Later, the Outgoing Speaker National Assembly administered the Oath to Asad Qaiser.
In the election for the Deputy Speaker National Assembly, PTI’s Qasim Khan Suri won by securing 183 votes while the Opposition’s Asad Mehmood received 144 votes.
The PTI’s nominee had also the support of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Balochistan National Party (BNP), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Awami Muslim League (AML), Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), and four independents.
Whereas the Joint Opposition’s Candidate enjoyed the support of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), PPP, MMA and Awami National Party (ANP).
Earlier following the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran and Naat-e-Rasool (SAWW) at the outset of the Session, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq administered the Oath to five newly elected members, who could not attend the inaugural Session of the 15th National Assembly on Monday.