Summary The election would take place without any debate.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The session of National Assembly to elect new prime minister after Supreme Court (SC) disqualified Nawaz Sharif in connection with Panama Papers case has begun today (Tuesday).
The session was summoned by President Mamnoon Hussain at 3:00 PM to elect the new leader of the house.
The meeting was started with the Quran recitation and Naat.
During the proceeding, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq will read out names of the validly nominated candidates and ask members who wish to vote in favour of their candidates to pass in single file through the designated entrance.
After a member recorded his vote, he would not return to the Chamber till completion of the voting process. When all the members have recorded their votes, bells would be rung for two minutes to allow members to return to the Chamber.
The Speaker would then announce the result to the attendees.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has nominated former state minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as interim prime minister for 45 days while PTI backed Sheikh Rashid’s name, but could not gain the support of any other party apart from PML-Q.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) also nominated its leader Naveed Qamar for the elections whereas Khursheed Shah withdrew his nomination papers.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan’s (MQM) Kishwar Zehra has also taken back her papers as the party pledged conditional support to PML-N.
JI’s Sahibzada Tariqullah too has submitted the nomination papers.
But even a joint candidate cannot defeat Khaqan Abbasi as PML-N enjoys majority of 188 seats in 342-member house. Under the Constitution of Pakistan, the prime minister has to be elected by a majority of the 342-member lower house of parliament, which comes to 172 votes.
SC on Friday disqualified Nawaz Sharif for dishonesty and ruled that corruption cases be filed against him and his children over the Panama Papers scandal, forcing the embattled leader out of office.
Nawaz Sharif has named Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as the interim leader and his brother, Shehbaz Sharif, as the long-term successor. Shehbaz Sharif, currently the chief minister of Punjab will have to resign from his post and run for a by-election to join Parliament before he is elected as prime minister.
