NA-5, NA-13: K-P CM, speaker vacate NA seats

PESHAWAR:

The schedule for elections in NA-5 Nowshera and NA-13 Swabi, which fell vacant, is yet to be announced.

Pervez Khattak, who was sworn in as the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Friday, gave up his seat in the National Assembly on Saturday after which the NA-5 seat fell vacant.

Khattak had won NA-5 Nowshera in addition to his provincial assembly seat.

Asad Qaiser also vacated his NA-13 Swabi seat after being confirmed as the new K-P Assembly speaker.

By-elections will be held after a schedule is announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, however, is yet to decide which of his three NA seats he will retain. Rehman has won from constituencies including Tank, DI Khan and Lakki Marwat.

The JUI-F chief skipped the oath-taking session of the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, former K-P chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti also gave up his PK-23 Mardan seat. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2013.