ISLAMABAD, Apr 16 (APP): Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP’s) senior lawmaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was elected Speaker of the National Assembly here on Saturday unopposed as no other candidate fielded nominations for the post.
Former speaker of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Asad Qaiser, who was facing no-confidence motion, had announced his resignation at the floor of the House on April 9.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, a senior parliamentarian, had previously served as the prime minister for a year after his predecessor Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani of the PPPP was disqualified by the Supreme Court in 2012-13.
Pervez Ashraf was the only candidate to file the nomination papers for the speakership. His name was proposed by Syed Khursheed Shah and seconded by Syed Naveed Qamar.
Following his election, Raja Pervaiz took the oath as Speaker of the National Assembly. Presiding officer Sardar Ayaz Sadiq administered the oath to the newly-elected speaker.
The House was also scheduled to take up no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, but it was put off after he tendered his resignation from the post before start of the session.
After taking the Speaker seat, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf thanked the party leadership for reposing confidence in him and nominating for the speakership.
He also thanked Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and all allied parties for support in his unopposed elections as 22nd Speaker of the National Assembly.
APP/mag-raz-zah-rkg
