Prime minister’s election to be held on March 3

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) Secretariat has announced the schedule for the election of the prime minister’s slot, ARY News reported.

According to details, the newly elected MNAs who took oath on Thursday would be voting for the prime minister’s slot on Sunday, March 3.

As per the schedule issued by the NA Secretariat, the premiership aspirants can submit their nomination papers by 2 pm on March 2. “The final list of candidates would be issued after scrutiny of the nomination papers,” it added.

The NA Secretariat said that candidates can collect the nomination papers from the legislation department. “The candidates are asked to submit their nomination papers to the NA Secretariat,” the schedule read.

It is pertinent to mention here that Shehbaz Sharif has been nominated by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and other allies for the slot. While the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) named Omar Ayub as its candidate for the prime minister’s slot.

Earlier in the day, the 16th National Assembly came into effect with the oath-taking of newly elected MNAs following the February 8 general elections.

The oath to the newly elected MNAs was administered by Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The house which was scheduled to take place at 10 in the morning, started after 11 am.

The NA session started with a ruckus as soon as the national anthem ended with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed lawmakers, who have joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), surrounding the speaker’s rostrum.

Earlier on February 20, SIC Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza asserted that his party would bring its prime minister as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (TI) backed independent members started joining the religious party.

PTI-backed national and provincial assembly lawmakers have started submitting affidavits, officially announcing their affiliation with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in line with the party’s decision.

On February 13, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif nominated his younger brother and party president Shehbaz Sharif for the post of the country’s prime minister, Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb said.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Marriyum Aurangzeb said that PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz was nominated for the post of Punjab’s chief minister.