MNA’s death delays election to deputy speaker

The National Assembly could not elect its deputy speaker on Tuesday as the session was dedicated to offering condolences on the demise of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) lawmaker Iqbal Muhammad Ali.

While the election and the swearing-in of the deputy speaker were on the session’s agenda, Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf suspended the proceedings and turned the meeting into a condolence reference for the late MNA.

The lower house paid tribute to Ali’s parliamentary services and prayed for his forgiveness. Khawaja Asif, Qadir Patel, Osama Qadri, Engineer Sabir Qaim Khani, Maulana Asad Mahmood Khalid Magsi and Agha Hassan Baloch Salahuddin were among those who paid tribute to him.

Syed Mehmood Shah prayed for the elevation of Ali’s soul and for those who passed away in the fire incident in Sindh.

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The members of the lower house said that they would remember Ali’s struggle on public issues, his commitment to democracy and his love and devotion to Pakistan.

They also said that the late lawmaker strongly represented the people of Karachi and the people of his constituency in the house for two decades, and provided a practical example of loyalty to the party.

MQM-P members said that they belonged to the middle class, and with Ali’s demise, they lost a close friend and a senior politician, whose absence would always be felt.

The NA session was then adjourned till 11am on Thursday.