Raja Pervaiz Ashraf elected NA speaker unopposed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was elected 22nd Speaker of the National Assembly unopposed as no other candidate submitted nomination papers against him.

Mr Ashraf, who previously served as the prime minister, was administered the oath by PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq.

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has been elected unopposed as the 22nd Speaker of the 15th National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 🇵🇰. pic.twitter.com/CDo7tym6uW

— National Assembly of Pakistan🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) April 16, 2022

The office of the speaker fell vacant after Asad Qaiser tendered his resignation in line with the PTI’s decision minutes before the voting on the no-confidence motion against the then prime minister Imran Khan on April 9.

After assuming the NA speakers’ office, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf gave a brief speech where he thanked his party leaders, the prime minister and the members of the assembly.

Suri tenders resignation 

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri on Saturday resigned from his post ahead of voting on no-trust motion.

Read More: NA MEETS TODAY TO VOTE ON NO-TRUST MOTION AGAINST QASIM SURI

His resignation comes after the lower house of parliament issued four-point agenda including voting on no-confidence motion against the Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri.

قومی اسمبلی سے استعفیٰ میری پارٹی کے وژن، اس کی شاندار وراثت اور جمہوریت کے ساتھ اس کی وابستگی کی علامت ہے، پاکستان کی خودمختاری اور سالمیت پر کبھی سمجھوتہ نہیں کریں گے ملکی مفادات اور آزادی کے لیے لڑیں گے اور 🇵🇰 کے تحفظ کے لیے کسی بھی حد تک جائیں گے۔ #امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور pic.twitter.com/fIskL5pVLg

— Qasim Khan Suri (@QasimKhanSuri) April 16, 2022

t is pertinent to mention here that the National Assembly session, which was scheduled to take place on Saturday, had been rescheduled for April 22. The schedule was changed by then acting speaker Qasim Suri under the National Assembly rules.

“The change in the schedule has been made by the acting speaker under Rule 49(2) of the Rules and Procedure for the Conduct of the Business in the National Assembly 2007,” the NA secretariat had said in a notification.