Candidates for the National Assembly Speaker submit their nomination papers. Clockwise from the top are PTI’s candidate Shaharyar Afridi, PPP’s Yousuf Talpur, PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq and MQM’s Iqbal Qadri. PHOTOS: AGENCIES
Contesting candidates submitted their nomination papers on Sunday, which were declared valid after scrutiny. PML-N has nominated Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for the post of speaker and Murtaza Javed Abbasi, a PML-N stalwart from Hazara division, for the office of deputy speaker.
Today’s elections in the lower house will see Sadiq and Abbasi competing against nominees from a split opposition. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have fielded their own candidates for both slots.
According to PTI spokesperson Dr Shireen Mazari, the party has nominated different candidates to exercise their democratic right.
“I think as separate parties we should bring our own candidates, hence PTI has submitted nomination papers of its own members,” she said.
PTI has nominated Shaharyar Afridi for the post of speaker, and Munazza Hassan, an MNA on a reserved seat for the slot of deputy speakers.
According to sources, PPP wanted to give PML-N a chance to bring an unopposed speaker, deputy speaker and leader of the house. However, their plan failed as PTI and MQM were not in favour of the move, forcing the former ruling party to field its own candidates for the posts.
PPP, has nominated Mirpur Khas’ Nawab Yousuf as speaker’s post. Ghulam Rasool Koreja, elected from Rahim Yar Khan, will be contesting for the post of deputy speaker.
According to sources, since PTI made an entry into the parliament for the first time with a significant number of seats and as it does not want to give an impression of being a friendly opposition, it had already decided to field Makhdoom Javed Hashmi as a candidate for prime minister against Nawaz Sharif.
In a bid to field joint candidates, the fourth largest party in the National Assembly, the MQM, was informally approached by PPP.
MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi said that since MQM is a small party in the opposition it was the responsibility of PPP and PTI to make efforts for bringing in joint candidates.
“There were informal talks in this regard. But no serious effort was made on the part of the two parties to convince MQM to support a joint candidate,” he said.
However, Rizvi admitted that PPP leader Khursheed Shah had in fact discussed for a consensus over the leader of the opposition. Rizvi said here is still time to decide on this particular issue.
MQM has fielded SA Iqbal Chaudhry for the seat of speaker, and an MNA from reserved seat, Kishwar Zehra, as deputy speaker.
Candidates can withdraw their nominations before the polling for the two offices begins.
PML-N is likely to win both the offices as it has attained a simple majority of 176 in the lower house, taking into account the support it attains from smaller parties.
PPPP has 39 members in the National Assembly, whereas PTI has the strength of 35 seats. A total of 23 members from MQM will sit in the house.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2013.
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It is a shame that the opposition is playing game and not coming up with joint candidates. It is sad that a number 3 party in the NA with zero seats in the senate wants to play solo and embarrass itself after sure defeat in the NA.
Chaudhry Nisar had ruled out the possibility of Ayaz Sadiq becoming the NA Speaker to avoid all the important slots could be given to people hailing from Lahore. This seems dictatorship that senior leaders such as Shahbaz Sharif and Chaudhry Nisar are made brainless in front of the people by Mr Nawaz Sharif