Speaker of the National Assembly: A brief history from Quaid-e-Azam to Asad Qaiser
The newest parliamentarian of NA, Asad Qaiser of PTI has become the 3rd speaker from KPK
(WebDesk) - The newest parliamentarian and the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and former speaker assembly of KhyberPakhtun Kha Asad Qaiser has become the 21st speaker of the 15th National Assembly of Pakistan legislated after the 13th general elections of 2018 in Pakistan.
Also Read: PTI s Asad Qaiser sworn in as 21st National Assembly Speaker
Asad Qaiser bagged 176 votes out of 330 votes casted whereas the opponent candidate for the speaker National Assembly and the most senior parliamentarian of the House Syed Khursheed Shah backed by the opposition alliance got 146 votes out of the 330 votes casted in the National Assembly. Eight votes of the members National Assembly were rejected in the secret polling for the speaker of the National Assembly.
Being the speaker of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser after asuming the office will be the presiding official of the National Assembly of Pakistan– a lower house of the Parliament of Pakistan. It is one of the most notable designations in the organizational hegemony of the parliament of Pakistan.
The speaker presides over the chamber composed of members of national assembly elected.
The Speaker is Second in the line of succession to the President of Pakistan and occupies fourth position in Pakistan in a protocol list at which government of Pakistan functions and officials are placed according to their rank and office after President, Prime Minister and the Chairman of Senate.
Speaker of the National Assembly is considered as the spokesman of the National Assembly to the outside world, and is non-partisan in his approach. Thus, the designation of the speaker is required to show the complete impartiality in the discharge of his functions. When the National Assembly is dissolved, Speaker continues office, till a new Speaker is elected. The elections for the positions are being held through secret ballot.
A group photo of the former speakers of the National Assembly. Photo: NA website
The outgoing speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq administered the oath of the newly elected speaker Asad Qaiser
Newly elected speaker is taking oath from the outgoing speaker of the National Assembly Syed Ayaz Sadiq. Photo: NA website
The former speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of Pakistan Muslim League (N) took oath of the newly elected Asad Qaiser of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insf. Ayaz sadiq was the last speaker of National Assembly who has kept his office till he administered the oath of the newly elected members of the National Assembly and subsequently the speaker of the National Assembly. He took charge of the speaker office from June 03 2013 till August 15, 2018.
Also Read: Tolerated fake speaker taunts patiently: Ayaz Sadiq
The newest parliamentarian defeated the most senior parliamentarian in the speaker elections of National Assembly of Pakistan
Former speaker KPK and the newest parliamentarian of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has become the 3rd speaker from Khyber Pakhtun Kha. With Asad Qaiser, PTI has successfully managed to elect its first speaker in National Assembly of Pakistan.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has150 members in the lower House, claims support of a total of over 174 MNAs and it could become big upset for the party if results in elections for the seats of speaker and deputy speaker do not come in its favour. The PTI already has made the proclamations of victory of its candidate Asad Qaiser in the elections for speaker in national assembly with support of its allied parties, including the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan National Party (BNP), Awami Muslim League (AML) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).
Also Read: PTI enjoys majority for speaker, deputy speaker, PM slots: Fawad Chaudhry
Speaker of the National Assembly is considered as the spokesman of the National Assembly to the outside world, and is non-partisan in his approach. Thus, the designation of the speaker is required to show the complete impartiality in the discharge of his functions.
The opposition candidate of speaker fielded by Pakistan Peoples Party in alliance with other opposition members of the Parliament was Syed Khursheed Shah. Shah is the most senior parliamentarian of Pakistan along with another PPP parliamentarian Syed Naveed Qamar.
PPP is the only political party in the National Assembly of Pakistan which has brought maximum numbers of their speakers in the lower house of Parliament of Pakistan followed by Pakistan Muslim League (N) with 4 speakers, previously elected in the National Assembly of Pakistan.
Also Read: Bilawal hopes joint opposition to clinch NA speaker, deputy speaker seats
The speakers of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Keeping in view the significance of the designation of the speaker which is required to show the complete impartiality in the discharge of his functions. Here is given the history of speakers of Pakistan in NA from Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Moulvi Tamizuudin to the newly elected Asad Qaiser who took the charge of the offices during the last seven decades of parliamentary politics in Pakistan:
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Muhammad Ali Jinnah (11 August 1947 – 11 September 1948 from Muslim League)
The father of the nation, Quiad-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah being the governor general of Pakistan automatically became the first ever speaker of the Assembly of the Pakistan. The office remained under him until his death.
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Moulvi Tamizuddin Khan (14 December 1948 – 24 October 1954 from Muslim League)
Moulvi Tamizuddin Khan is considered as the most prominent and powerful speaker of the National Assembly. He became the speaker for two times. He first resumed the office after Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and remained speaker from 1948 till 1954.
He had a credit of unveiling the anti-democratic forces and considered as the most credible speaker in the history of Pakistan. When the Constituent Assembly was dismissed by Governor General Ghulam Mohammad in 1954, Khan challenged the dismissal in the court. Although the High Court agreed and overturned it, the Federal Court under Justice Muhammad Munir upheld the dismissal.
"Justice A. R. Cornelius was the sole dissenting judge in the landmark judgment handed down by the Supreme Court in the Maulvi Tamizuddin case. That judgment altered the course of politics in Pakistan forever and sealed the fate of democracy. The decision to uphold the dismissal of the constituent assembly was to mark the beginning of the overt role of Pakistan’s military and civil establishment in Pakistani politics
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Abdul Wahab Khan (12 August 1955 – 7 October 1958 from Muslim League)
Abdul Wahab Khan was the 3rd speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. He was preceded and succeeded by Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan. He was born into a middle-class Muslim family in East Pakistan.
Tamizuddin Khan (11 June 1962 – 19 August 1963 from Muslim League)
In 1962, Maulvi Tamizuddin contested elections from Farid Pur for the National Assembly seat under the new constitution and won the elections. The same year, he was elected Speaker of the National Assembly. He also acted as President in the absence of the president. He visited many countries as head of the various commissions of the legislators and advocated the cause of Pakistan as a fledgling state.
He passed away on 19th August 1963 at CMH Dhaka. His death was mourned throughout the country for his bold and historical initiative to lodge an appeal against the autocratic decision of the Governor General Ch. Ghulam Muhammad.
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Fazlul Chaudhry (29 November 1963 – 12 June 1965 from Conventional Muslim League)
Fazlul Quader Chaudhury was a Bengali politician who served as the 5th speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan from East Pakistan. He belonged to Ayub Khan’s Convention Muslim League. Chaudhury was elected member of the Pakistan National Assembly in 1962.
In Ayub Khan’s cabinet he served in the Ministry of Agriculture and Works, the Ministry of Education and Information and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. In 1973, after the independence of Bangladesh (former East Pakistan), he was jailed in Bangladesh for war crimes as collaborator of Pakistan Army during 1971. He died in Dhaka Central Jail on 17 July 1973.
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Abdul Jabbar Khan (12 June 1965 to 25 March 1969 from Conventional Muslim League)
Justice Abdul Jabbar Khan was the 6th Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. He was preceded by another speaker from Conventional Muslim League of Ayub Khan, Fazlul Qadir Chaudhry. In 1965 he was elected to the Pakistan National Assembly from Barisal. He then went on to be elected Speaker of the National Assembly.
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Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (14 April 1972 – 12 April 1973 from Pakistan Peoples Party)
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto became the first speaker of Pakistan people party. He resumed as the office as 7th speaker of the National Assembly for a brief span of four months.
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Fazal Ilahi (15 August 1972 – 9 August 1973 from Pakistan Peoples Party)
Fazal Elahi Chaudhry, became the 8th speaker of the National Assembly after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
He was the 5th President of Pakistan, serving from 1973 until 1978, prior to the martial law led by Chief of Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq.
On 16 September 1978, Chaudhry handed the charge of the presidency to ruling military general Zia-ul-Haq who succeeded him as the sixth president
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Sahibzada Farooq Ali (9 August 1973 – 27 March 1977 from Pakistan Peoples Party)
Sahibzada Farooq Adil sworn oath as 9th speaker of the National Asseembly in the government of Pakistan Peoples Party.
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Malik Meraj Khalid (27 March 1977 – 5 July 1977 from Pakistan Peoples Party)
Malik Meraj was a strong leftist leader and considered among the founding members of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto led PPP. After Tamizuddin Khan, he was another speaker who has resumed the office for two times. He first took the charge of speaker in 1977 and reained there for only five months until the coup of General Zia ul Haq.
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Fakhar Imam (22 March 1985 – 26 May 1986 from Pakistan Muslim League)
After a long gap of a decade, National Assembly lected its 11th speaker Syed Fakhar Imam. Imam’s wife Syeda Abida Hussain his daughter Syeda Sughra Imam are the renowned politicians too. He was preceded by Malik Meraj Khalid.
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Hamid Nasir Chatha (31 May 1986 – 3 December 1988 from Pakistan Muslim League)
Hamid Nasir Chatha became the 12th speaker of the National Assembly in 1986. He was previously elected as an MNA in 1985, 1990, 1993, and 2002 from his constituency of Gujranwala. Hamid Nasir won one of the biggest majorities in the Punjab in the 1985 party less elections. He joined PTI in 2016.
Malik Meraj (3 December 1988 – 4 November 1990 from Pakistan Peoples Party)
After another successful return to to the National Assembly in 1988 in another gain of power led by Benazir Bhutto after more than a decade long reign of General Zia ul Haq, he was once again appointed as Speaker of the National Assembly in 1988. However, he lost the subsequent elections in 1990, and remained aloof from politics for some time.
After dismissing the government of Benazir Bhutto in 1996, he was asked by then President of Pakistan Farooq Khan Laghari to resume the office of interim Prime Minister.
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Gohar Ayub (4 November 1990 – 17 October 1993 from Muslim League and IJI)
Gohar Ayub Khan is the son of fomer martial Law administrator and the President of Pakistan, Ayub Khan. He took the oath as 14th speaker of the National Assembly. He held the office from 1990 to 1993 till the government of Nawaz Sharif led IJI government was not overthrown.
Gohar Ayub also served as senior vice-president of the Pakistan Muslim League from 1990 to 1993. After his re-election in the 1993 general elections, Gohar Ayub became deputy leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.
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Yousaf Raza Gillani (17 October 1993 – 16 February 1997 from Pakistan Peoples Party)
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and a strong leader of Pakistan Peoples Party was taken the charge of 15th speaker of the National Assembly in 1993 and remained held the seat until 1997. Yousuf Raza Gilani became the 17th Prime Minister of Pakistan. Covering a long political journey as speaker of National Assembly and as federal minister, Gilani became Pakistan’s prime minister on March 25, 2008. He was dismissed by the Supreme Court ruling Gillani was replaced by Raja Pervez Ashraf.
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Elahi Bux Soomro (16 February 1997 – 20 August 2001 from Pakistan Muslim League (N))
Elahi Bux Soomro is a Pakistani senior politician and legislator. He was the 16th Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan. He is from an influential political family of Sindh. He has held several federal ministries, including portfolios of Ministry of Industries and Production, Ministry of Housing & Works, Ministry of Defence Production, Ministry of IT, Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of Water and Power.
He is considered as one of few politicians who have been very close to Presidents and Prime Ministers Of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He has been a close aide from Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to ZiaulHaq and from Benazir Bhutto to Nawaz Sharif and Ghulam Ishaq Khan, and before 2002 elections, the top army officials had announced his name for the premiership.
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Amir Hussain (19 November 2002 – 19 March 2008 from Pakistan Muslim League (Q))
Chaudhry Amir Hussain held the office as the 17th Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan from 2002 to 2008 during the period of Gen.
Pervaiz Musharaf influenced government of Pakistan Muslim League Q. In 2012, he joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
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Fahmida Mirza (19 March 2008 – 3 June 2013 from Pakistan Peoples Party)
Fahmida Mirza was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2002 to May 2018. She served as the 18th Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan from March 2008 to June 2013. She became the first female speaker national assembly in the history of parliament in Pakistan. She belongs to an influential Mirza family of Badin who remained loyal to PPP for decades but due to grown differences between PPP and his husband and former Interior Minister of Sindh Zulfiqar Ali Mirza, the Mirzas parted the ways from PPP.
In Pakistan general elections 2018, Mirzas have joined the grand democratic alliance. She got elected as an MNA again from the seat of Badin and extended their support for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the newly elected 15th National Assembly of Pakistan.
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Ayaz Sadiq (03 June 2013 - August 2015 and second time from November 2015 to August 2018 from Pakistan Muslim League (N))
Syed Ayaz Sadiq is a Pakistan Muslim League (N) loyalist and remained the 19th speaker of the National Assembly for the complete tenure of previous government of Pakistan Muslim League (N). He entered mainstream politics in 1997 and later joined Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on 1st February 2001.
In 2002, he made his debut to the Parliament as a Member of the National Assembly and contributed as Member of the Standing Committees on Finance, Railway and Defence Production. He was among 19 legislators from his party in a House of 342. In 2008, he successfully returned to the National Assembly for a second term and was elected as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Railways.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was elected to the Parliament for the third consecutive term in 2013. In view of his contributions to the Party and the Parliament, he was nominated for the Office of the Speaker. He was elected to this Constitutional Office with an over two-third majority.
As Speaker, he has initiated a number of projects to reform the legislative and administrative working of the House and the Secretariat. These include the automation of the parliamentary business, strengthening of the Committee System, introduction of a strict merit-based hiring policy through competitive examination and the establishment of a Human Resource Department in the National Assembly.
A key initiative of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq as Speaker has been the formation of a Parliamentary Task Force on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in wake of the post- Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agenda of the United Nations. This makes Pakistan’s Parliament the first legislature in the world to take up the development agenda on high priority.
He is also instrumental in building closer links with the Academia to bring in qualitative research facilities for the Members. It is through his personal supervision and encouragement that more than 53 leading universities and high institutes have agreed to introduce Parliamentary Studies course as a discipline.
In 2015, Imran Khan alleged rigging in the constituency of Sadiq from where Sadiq won in 2013 election. Following which the ECP de-seated Sadiq and ordered re-polling in the constituency. In October 2015, Sadiq retained his National Assembly seat by defeating a PTI candidate in by-election and was re-elected to the National Assembly for the fourth time.
He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency NA-129 (Lahore-VII) in Pakistani general election, 2018
Murtaza Javed Abbasi (Acting) (24 August 2015 – 9 November 2015 from Pakistan Muslim League (N))
For a brief period, Murtaza Jawed Abbasi of PMLN after the disqualification of Speaker, as deputy speaker resumed the officer of Speaker in the absence of Speaker. In November 2015, Sadiq retained its position as the speaker of the National Assembly by getting re-elected for the second time. Previously Abbasi, was a member of the National Assembly from 2008 to May 2018 and served as the 18th Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, from June 2013 to May 2018.
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Asad Qaiser (15 August 2018 – present)
Asad Qaier technically has sworn in as the 20th speaker of the National Assembly as Deputy speaker of the National Assembly briefly took the charge of chairmanship of National Assembly in the absence of Speaker Syed Ayaz Sadiq.
Qaiser is a PTI loyalist and was a former speaker of the KPK Assembly. Asad Qaiser Khan has remained the 14th speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly between 2013 and 2018. During General Election 2018, he has won National Assembly seat from NA-18 constituency of Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Asad Qaisar is one of the founding and prominent workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in KPK. He was also the president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, until 2013 where he had to resign due to his election as speaker, a role which PTI claims should be neutral
Asad Qaiser joined PTI in 1996 and began his career in PTI as a worker and rose to the rank of district president of Swabi. He was initially appointed as the provincial President of PTI in 2008. The office he held till 2011 when the provincial leadership was dissolved by chairman PTI Imran Khan prior to the Intra-Party elections.
In March 2013, he won the intra party elections. In the 2013 general elections he stood from NA-13 SWABI-II and PK-35 SWABI-V where he was elected as legislator from both but he held on to PK-35 SWABI-V constituency of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly against his candidate from PML-N, and then got elected by the provincial assembly, as Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and served till 2018.
