Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Shafqat Mehmood of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will face each other for the coveted slot of National Assembly Speaker on Monday. According to sources, PML-N has the support of majority parliamentary parties and its nominated candidate Sardar Ayaz Sadiq is expected to be re-elected as National Assembly speaker again.
For the first time, a Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) member Syed Ghazi Gulab Jamal, also jumped into the fray and submitted his nomination papers for the slot of NA Speaker. When contacted, Ghazi Jamal told Business Recorder that he had submitted his nomination papers at the office of secretary National Assembly for Speaker's election. The sources said that Shafqat Mehmood of PTI has also submitted his nomination papers for this slot.
The coveted slot of National Assembly speaker fell vacant after an Election Tribunal in its verdict with respect to alleged rigging in NA-122 on August 22 disqualified Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of PML-N. Later, a by-election was held in the constituency which was won by Sardar Ayaz Sadiq by a thin margin of 2,400 votes against PTI candidate Aleem Khan. The sources said that the ruling PML-N has again nominated Sardar Ayaz Sadiq while the PTI has nominated Shafqat Mehmood to contest against ruling party candidate.
While talking to media persons on Thursday, PTI's vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that his party has unanimously decided to field Shafqat Mahmood, an MNA from Lahore, adding that he will file his nomination paper when a schedule is announced by the election commission. The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has already announced its support for Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to re-elect him as speaker. The MQM also announced its support for the ruling party's nominee for the slot.
Acting Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi on Friday announced the schedule for speaker's election. He said that the candidates could submit their nomination papers till Sunday before 12 noon and election would be held on Monday at 9:00 am. Earlier the Acting Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi chaired a meeting of the house business advisory committee in the Parliament House. It was decided in the meeting that the session of the National Assembly will continue till November 18. The committee discussed the procedure for election of National Assembly's speaker. The question hour and calling attention notices apart from other legislative business would be taken up during the current session.