ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly secretariat on Monday issued a schedule for the election of the NA deputy speaker slot.

According to the schedule, the election for the vacant seat of deputy speaker will take place on April 20 while nomination papers can be submitted for the slot till April 19 (Tuesday) at 12 pm with Secretary National Assembly.

The nomination papers can be obtained from the legislative branch of the lower house of Parliament. The seat fell vacant after Qasim Suri resigned from the post following the no-confidence motion submitted against him by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) has nominated Zahid Akram Durrani for the office of the deputy speaker. He has also received the nomination papers.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on April 16 was elected 22nd Speaker of the National Assembly unopposed as no other candidate submitted nomination papers against him.

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