ISLAMABAD: Six candidates are in the run for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly.
The members of the National Assembly are casting votes to elect the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
The outgoing Speaker National Assembly Fehmida Mirza is chairing the session.
PML-N nominates Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for the office of the Speaker and Murtaza Javed Abbasi as Deputy Speaker.
Pakistan Peoples Party on the request of PML-N has decided to withdraw its candidates for both the offices.
Other candidates in the run for Speaker are Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of PML-N‚ Shehryar Afridi of PTI and Iqbal Qadri of MQM.
Meanwhile‚ Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced to support PML-N candidate for the offices of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Ayaz Sadiq‚ while talking to media persons‚ said he will run the house transparently and the opposition will be given due time to raise their points in the House.
While the PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi says their party will contest the election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly.
Talking to newsman outside the Parliament House in Islamabad he said there would be no bargaining in this regard.
He rejected the reports of any talks with MQM about opposition alliance in the centre and Sindh.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement has also decided to contest the elections of Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly.
Senior leader of MQM Farooq Sattar has said that his party will not withdraw names of its nominees for the two positions.
Meanwhile‚ another leader of the party Nabeel Gabol has said that he hopes there will be no criticism of MQM as friendly opposition.
Talking to the media persons outside the parliament house‚ Senior Leader of Pakistan People’s Party Makhdoom Amin Fahim said it is the historic occasion that a peaceful and civilized transfer of power is taking place in the country.
