In Pakistan, the first session of the 15th National Assembly began today to start the process of transition and handing over powers to the new government. Outgoing National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq administered the oath to 331 Members of National Assembly in the 342-member house. The election for the new speaker and deputy speaker of the assembly will be held on Wednesday.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has already nominated former speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Asad Qaiser for the office of National Assembly speaker and he would face Syed Khursheed Shah of the Pakistan Peoples Party, a joint candidate of the 11-party alliance, Pakistan Alliance for Free and Fair Elections.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman and Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan and other prominent political leaders, including PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and former President Asif Ali Zardari, are present in the Assembly for the oath-taking.
The election of the Prime Minister will be held after the election of the new Speaker who will supervise the election of the premier. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has nominated Imran Khan for the top post and he is scheduled to take oath on Saturday.
The party had emerged as the single largest party with 116 seats in the last month’s elections. Its tally has reached 158 members after the joining of nine independents and bagging 33 seats reserved for women and minorities.
