Aseefa sworn in as MNA amid opposition ruckus

Speaker adjourns requisitioned session for lack of quorum

ISLAMABAD:

Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, the youngest daughter of President Asif Zardari and the Late Benazir Bhutto was sworn in as a member of the National Assembly (MNA) amid noisy protest from the opposition benches on Monday.

The house met here with Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in the chair, on the requisition from the opposition benches. President Asif Zardari was present in the assembly building to witness the oath-taking of Aseefa along with his other children.

Aseefa entered the assembly hall accompanied by her brother and MNA Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. She was greeted in the hall by the lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Several other party leaders were also present in the galleries as guests.

Aseefa was elected unopposed in the by-election in NA-207, Nawabshah, a seat vacated by her father after his election as the president. With the oath-taking as an MNA, Aseefa embarks upon the path to parliamentary politics.

The assembly hall reverberated with slogans of ‘Jeay Bhutto’ on Aseefa’s arrival. While the independent lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) raised slogans against skewing election results for the release of their party founder.

The treasury members protested against the behaviour of the opposition. Amid noisy protest by the opposition, Bilawal gave her headphones, which she wore to hear the speaker, administering the oath. After taking the oath, she signed the roll of members.

Read also: Aseefa's unopposed victory challenged in SHC

Aseefa then went to the guest gallery and shook hands with her sister Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari. Later, she and Bilawal left the assembly hall. Aseefa went to the Speaker's Chamber and to meet her father, who watched the proceedings on a TV screen there.

Those present in the gallery also included Faryal Talpur, Sherry Rahman, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, members of the Senate and the PPP leaders of the four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The treasury members also left the hall in protest against the opposition’s behaviour, which had requisitioned the session. “It is a parliamentary tradition that the new esteemed members are greeted. But today opposition’s attitude is regrettable, which led to walkout,” Naveed Qamar of the PPP said.

The government members pointed out the lack of quorum to the speaker. After the count, the quorum was found not in order. On that Speaker Ayaz Sadiq adjourned the session for an indefinite period.

It was Zardari’s first visit to the Parliament House since becoming the president. Upon arrival, he was received by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq who took him to the Speaker’s Chamber. Sadiq also congratulated the president on the election of Aseefa.