Qasim Suri elected Deputy Speaker NA, vows to fight for rights of Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Qasim Khan Suri on Wednesday has been elected as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.

He received 183 votes while the united opposition’s candidate Asad Mehmood bagged 144 votes. There were 328 votes cast while one vote was rejected. Qasim Suri hails from Balochistan and had won from NA-265 constituency in Quetta.

Speaking after being sworn in as the Deputy Speaker, he said that the people of Balochistan are deprived of drinking water and education, and still voted despite the threats of terrorism.

He thanked PTI chairman Imran Khan for the opportunity, and also his opponent Asad Mehmood for the contest in a democratic manner.

He said that people lost their lives in Balochistan on Election Day, while the province was neglected in the past and now deserves special attention.

The newly-elected Deputy Speaker said it was necessary to address the deprivations of Balochistan, saying that he will fight for right of the province and will fulfill his responsibility to the best of his ability.

He said that the he will not differenciate between the treasury and opposition benches and will remain impartial. He also vowed to bring disgrutled members in Balochistan into the national mainstream.

It may be mentioned that earlier Asad Qaiser was elected as the new Speaker of the National Assembly after defeating opposition candidate Khursheed Shah.

Profile of Qasim Suri

Qasim Suri has remained the front-runner of the PTI in Balochistan and played a vital role in strengthening the party in the province.

He had served as the PTI chief in Balochistan and the general-secretary and was recently looking after PTI affairs in Quetta. He was replaced by tribal chieftain Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind as the PTI chief in Balochistan.

Suri was born in Quetta in January 1969 and is the eldest among his siblings — three brothers and three sisters. He took over the medicine business after his father’s demise in 1997.

Suri attended Quetta Islamia School and later joined the Federal Government College in 1988 and acquired a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Balochistan in 1990 and completed his Master’s degree in international relations in 1992.

He contested 2013 election for a National Assembly seat but was defeated by Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai.

In the July 25 polls, Mr Suri won the NA-265 Quetta seat. He is considered to be a close aide of Imran Khan and is reportedly associated with the party since 1996 and rose on the platform of the PTI.