Suri extends date for NA speaker’s election till 22nd

Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri has changed the schedule of the National Assembly session to be held for the election of speaker, a move that has been challenged in the Islamabad High Court.

The NA Secretariat had earlier announced that the election for the seat of speaker would be held on April 16 at 4pm, with receipt of nomination papers on April 15. However on Thursday, it was notified that the session would be held on April 22 (Friday), instead of April 16.

The NA Secretariat said the schedule was changed by acting Speaker Suri under Rule 49 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.

The seat has been lying vacant following the resignation of former speaker Asad Qaiser on April 9, who announced that he is quitting ahead of the voting on the no-confidence resolution against Imran Khan.

However, a member of the panel of chairpersons, Ayaz Sadiq, conducted the voting in Qaiser’s place on the no-confidence motion in which the opposition gained majority and ousted Imran from the prime minister’s post.

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There will be a secret balloting for the election of the speaker as per Rule 9 of Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.

Further, on the petition filed against Suri’s move by PML-N’s Murtaza Javed Abbasi, a larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah, will hear the case today (Friday). Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Babar Sattar are also members of the larger bench.

In the petition filed by Abbasi, Deputy Speaker Suri, parliamentary affairs secretary, and NA secretary have been made respondents.

“The circular of April 13 in which the meeting was adjourned till April 22 is against the Constitution,” the petition reads.

“The deputy speaker should be directed to convene an immediate meeting for the election of the NA speaker.

“The parliamentary affairs secretary and the assembly secretary should be directed to convene a meeting on April 16. The deputy speaker should be prevented from exercising the powers of the National Assembly speaker.”

(With input from app)