PML-N slogans echo in National Assembly
PML-N members chanted slogans of 'fake mandate unacceptable' and 'respect the vote'.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Newly-elected National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser had to adjourn Wednesday’s session for 15 minutes after members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chanted slogans.
The relatively peaceful session turned noisy after outgoing speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq announced Qaiser’s victory. The PML-N members gathered in front of the speaker’s dice and chanted slogans of ‘fake mandate unacceptable’ and ‘respect the vote’.
The protesting members included Rana Sanaullah, Shiza Fatima and Marrium Aurangzeb. Moreover, Asad Qaiser took oath amid slogans in the National Assembly.
Lawmakers elect Asad Qaiser as NA speaker
Qaiser bagged 176 votes while Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Syed Khurshid Shah received 146 in the secret balloting process. A total of 330 votes were cast among which eight were rejected.
Amongst the prominent figures who cast vote included PTI Chairman Imran Khan, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
Politicians address the lower house
As the session resumed, NA speaker Asad Qaiser assured that the staff will cooperate with the members of the House during his speakership. He stressed the members to abide by the constitution and ensure attendance in the assembly.
Khurshid Shah while praising th outgoing speaker hoped that the new parliament complete its five-year tenure. He asserted that the opposition will play their role in the leadership of Bilawal.
Sheh Mehmood Qureshi expressed gratitude to all the allies of PTI for their support and approved the stance of opposition while terming it their democratic right.
Ayaz Sadiq congratulated the new speaker and extended thanks to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif for appointing him on the post. He vowed not to use any derogatory word for the speaker that were hurled at him during his tenure.
About Asad Qaiser
Asad Qaiser Khan servesd as 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
He was born on 15 November 1969 in Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He belongs to a very respected family in the village of Marghuz, Swabi District. He received his early education from Government higher secondary school in Marghuz, and later graduated from University of Peshawar.
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.
