Ayaz Sadiq Chosen As NA Speaker, Ghulam Mustafa Deputy

In Islamabad, on Friday, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, a prominent leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), secured the position of National Assembly speaker, while Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was elected as the deputy speaker.

Sadiq, now the 23rd speaker of the lower house of parliament, clinched victory with 199 votes, surpassing the candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Malik Aamir Dogar, who garnered 91 votes. Following suit, Shah secured 197 votes, defeating Junaid Akbar with 92 votes.

Read more: PTI Nominates Amir Dogar For National Assembly Speaker

The outgoing speaker, Raja Parvez Ashraf, administered the oath to Sadiq, who then, as the newly-elected speaker, administered the oath to Shah. Expressing gratitude, Sadiq acknowledged the trust placed in his leadership by leaders from major political parties.

During his address to the lawmakers, Sadiq pledged to run the house affairs impartially, emphasizing fairness in his role. Expressing gratitude to Allah and acknowledging the nomination by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, he highlighted the importance of consensus in politics and urged democratic handling of differences.

Sadiq emphasized open communication, stating that Aamir Dogar, his political counterpart, had referred to him as a big brother, a sentiment he intended to reciprocate. He affirmed his commitment to fostering consensus in politics with the collaboration of all stakeholders.

Looking ahead, the election for the prime minister is scheduled for March 3, with PML-N’s Shehbaz Sharif positioned favorably for a second consecutive term in office. The National Assembly session, convened for the speaker and deputy speaker elections, saw opposition lawmakers expressing dissent over alleged irregularities in the February 8 polls. The session also witnessed continued protests by the Sunni Ittehad Council, echoing claims of election rigging.