ISLAMABAD: Convened after an unprecedented break of around three months, Friday’s National Assembly proceedings were all but consumed by the ruling PML-N for celebration of former speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s return to the hallowed corridors of the Parliament House, though technically the session should have focused on the election of new speaker.

At the outset of the proceedings, PTI’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Shah Mehmood Qureshi, along with other lawmakers of his party, sought the chair’s attention to highlight the rule-11-B, but acting speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi denied him the opportunity.

When given the mike later, Mr Qureshi said that under the rule if the office of the speaker or deputy speaker fell vacant, the first thing the house must do was the election to fill the vacant post. “Today’s proceedings of the house should only be meant for election of the new speaker.”

Also read: PML-N reclaims 'Takht-i-Lahore'

But the acting speaker referred to Article 65 of the Constitution which stated that “a person elected to a House shall not sit or vote until he has made before the House oath in the form set out in the Third Schedule”.

Besides Ayaz Sadiq, three other newly elected lawmakers were administrated oath on Friday. They are: Riazul Haq Juj, who won the by-election as an independent candidate from NA-144 (Okara) and later joined the PML-N, Haripur’s NA-19 by-poll winner Babar Nawaz of the ruling party, and Dr Shazia Soomro of the PPP who replaced Alizey Haider on a reserved seat.

In background discussions, both sitting and former senior lawmakers were of the opinion that after the oath taking the government should have taken up the election of the speaker, instead of delaying it to Nov 9.

In what was seen by many as a further defiance of rules of procedures and conduct of business of the house, Mr Sadiq was provided an opportunity to deliver a hard-hitting speech which he used to rub salt in the wounds of the PTI against whose candidate he had won the by-election on Oct 11.

Mixing his party rhetoric with lessons of morality, Mr Sadiq recalled how the PTI had poisoned national politics by making unpleasant speeches against the entire political leadership of the country.

Although at the outset of his speech, Mr Sadiq said he didn’t want to shame the PTI for its politics of protest, he underlined how its sit-in had delayed the Chinese president’s visit and caused financial losses to the country. But despite this, he added, the PML-N leadership had demonstrated a dignified posture.

The session convened at 10am was delayed by more than one and a half hours. At the very beginning it was obvious that the PML-N had charted out special plans to celebrate the victory of Ayaz Sadiq.

Galleries were full of guests. To everybody’s surprise, Mr Sadiq didn’t appear along with the other three newly elected MNAs to make his entry special. Soon after the three members had taken the oath and completed the mandatory roll signing, Mr Sadiq made his entry from the side of the PM’s gallery.

The house erupted into slogans raised by the young brigade of PML-N lawmakers.

Established parliamentary traditions don’t allow political sloganeering inside the hall, but the acting speaker ignored the matter.

“Dekho Dekho Koun Aya, Sher Aya Sher Aya, Dekho Dekho Koun Aya, Dharnay Ka Jawab Aya” were the slogans which the ruling party MNAs raised with full voice.

Interestingly, the PPP kept quiet and didn’t object to what transpired during the proceedings of the house until the fag-end. Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Ahmed Shah suggested that the house must end its routine business forthwith until the election of new speaker.

NOMINATIONS: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Shafqat Mehmood submitted nomination papers for the post of the speaker.

Gazi Gulab Jamal, an MNA from Fata, decided to contest the election as an independent candidate and submitted his application.

Interestingly, the PML-N is yet to finalise the name of its expected candidate, Ayaz Sadiq, for the speakership.

“I can file my nomination papers only after my party leadership decides so,” Mr Sadiq was quoted as saying by a senior office-bearer of the ruling party.

As per the schedule announced by the acting speaker, Nov 8 (Sunday afternoon) is the deadline for submission of nomination papers, followed by voting on Nov 9 (Monday).

MQM RETURNS: Following the signing of an agreement with the government, MNAs belonging to the MQM returned to the house on Friday.

The acting speaker read out his ruling underlining that since the MQM lawmakers had resigned in protest, the speaker refused to accept their resignations and welcome them back.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2015

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