NA speaker doesn’t see parliament completing its tenure

Says things are drastically different from 2002 and 2008

National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq has said that he does not see the assembly completing its tenure as “what’s happening now has never been witnessed before”.

“I am not an astrologer...I hope it [the National Assembly] completes its constitutional term but I don’t foresee it happening,” he told Aaj News when asked about the assembly completing its five-year tenure.

“I feel something is about to happen… things are drastically different from 2002 and 2008."

He was referring to the continuing political saga in the country following the ‘botched’ Faizabad crackdown as well as the situation arising after the release of the Model Town inquiry report.

Sadiq went on to say that continuity of the democratic system is pivotal for strengthening institutions in the country. “Everyone should give preference to national interest rather to focus on personal benefits,” he added.

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Without naming it, the speaker said: “All political parties except one, wants the government to complete its five year constitutional term for the continuity of the democratic system.”

Praising the Bilawal Bhutto-led party, Sadiq said that the Pakistan Peoples Party is a mature political party, and it always wants that the system should not be derailed.

“Pakistan is facing internal as well as external challenges and there is need to display unity to confront them, he said, adding, “People of the country are real judge and they will have to review performance of the PML-N government in the next general elections.”

While the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has called for early elections, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) have demanded resignations of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for their alleged involvement in the Model Town tragedy, in which 14 PAT workers were killed in June 2014.

(With additional input from APP).