Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq, supported by allied parties, has become the Speaker of the National Assembly.
The election took place amidst disruptions caused by members of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). Out of 291 votes cast, Sadiq secured 199 votes, while his opponent, Malik Aamir Dogar of SIC, received 91 votes. One vote was rejected. Sadiq, who previously served as the Speaker, immediately assumed the position and outgoing Speaker Raja Parvaiz Ashraf stepped down.
Sadiq’s first task is to conduct elections for the deputy speaker, with candidates from PPP and SIC. In his address, Sadiq thanked political leaders for their trust, emphasizing fairness in running the house. He pledged to create consensus in politics and urged democratic expression of differences.
Dogar, in his address, highlighted his party’s support for fairness. He expressed concerns about election results, claiming a mandate was stolen and seats were taken. The session faced disruptions from PTI lawmakers, who raised objections about the presence of certain members and the election process.
During the session, the MQM-P unexpectedly walked out, demanding a constitutional amendment for local body empowerment. PML-N leaders, including Sadiq, negotiated with MQM-P and agreed to the amendment in Article 140.
Meanwhile, JUI-F announced a boycott of the elections for top political positions, citing serious reservations about the 2024 election results. Maulana Fazlur Rehman stated that JUI-F would sit in the opposition and abstain from voting, hinting at a forthcoming protest movement.