Election for NA speaker on April 16

ISLAMABAD:

The National Assembly on Wednesday issued a schedule for the election of a speaker, sending letters to all members of the House in this regard.

The election will be held in the next sitting of the National Assembly on April 16 (Saturday) while nomination papers can be submitted for the slot till April 15 (Friday) at 2 pm with Secretary National Assembly.

The nomination papers can be obtained from the legislative branch of the House.

The election of the speaker would be held under Rule 9 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in National Assembly 2007.

The seat fell vacant after the resignation of Asad Qaiser who, hours before the Supreme Court’s deadline for the vote of no-confidence motion was to expire, addressed the assembly to announce the decision.

“I am liable to the Constitution and the most important demand of the oath is to protect the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan,” he said. The former speaker said that the then-cabinet had shared the alleged “threat letter” with him and asked the lawmakers to stand for the country’s sovereignty.

“I can no longer remain on the seat of the speaker and I resign,” said Qaiser. He also shared that he accepts the Supreme Court’s decision and asked former speaker Ayaz Sadiq to run the session.

Rule 9 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in National Assembly 2007 states that the assembly shall proceed to elect a speaker under clause (1) of Article 53, by secret ballot in accordance with this rule.