Islamabad: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and senior PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf on Saturday was elected unopposed as the national assembly speaker.
The speaker seat had fallen vacant after the previous speaker, Asad Qaiser, resigned on April 9.
However, on Saturday (today), PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf took oath as the NA speaker shortly after being elected unopposed as no other member submitted nomination papers.
Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri resigns
Earlier in the day, Qasim Suri also resigned from the position as the Deputy Speaker of the national assembly, saying his resignation from the national assembly was a sign of the PTI’s vision, its glorious legacy and its commitment to democracy.
Qasim Suri shared a copy of his resignation on Twitter and said, “we will never compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty and integrity.”
قومی اسمبلی سے استعفیٰ میری پارٹی کے وژن، اس کی شاندار وراثت اور جمہوریت کے ساتھ اس کی وابستگی کی علامت ہے، پاکستان کی خودمختاری اور سالمیت پر کبھی سمجھوتہ نہیں کریں گے ملکی مفادات اور آزادی کے لیے لڑیں گے اور 🇵🇰 کے تحفظ کے لیے کسی بھی حد تک جائیں گے۔ #امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور pic.twitter.com/fIskL5pVLg
— Qasim Khan Suri (@QasimKhanSuri) April 16, 2022
Suri had been functioning as the acting speaker following the resignation of Asad Qaiser. Following his decision of April 3, in which he rejected the no-trust motion against former Prime Minister Imran Khan calling the resolution “unconstitutional” and contrary to Article 5 of the constitution of Pakitan, faced severe criticism and was facing a no-trust motion against himself as well.
However, today, before the session of the national assembly took place to decide the fate of Qasim Suri as the deputy speaker, he tendered his resignation.
more to follow…