<\/p>\n
Two hundred and eighty two newly elected members of the 16th National Assembly (NA) were sworn in on Thursday in a session marred by sloganeering.<\/p>\n
Outgoing NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered the oath to the MNAs-elect. The session was originally scheduled to begin at 10am but was delayed by more than an hour.<\/p>\n
Notable politicians who were sworn in included PML-N supremo and former premier Nawaz Sharif, ex-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.<\/p>\n
Further, three Senate members \u2014 PML-N\u2019s Nuzhat Sadiq, JUI-F\u2019s Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and PPP\u2019s Yousuf Raza Gilani \u2014 resigned from the upper house of Parliament in order to join the National Assembly.<\/p>\n
PTI leaders, some of whom have joined the assembly under the banner of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) under the party\u2019s bid to secure reserved seats, were also sworn in. These included Barrister Gohar Khan, Ali Muhammad Khan, Omar Ayub Khan and Sher Afzal Marwat.<\/p>\n
It should be noted that today\u2019s session marked PML-N supremo Nawaz\u2019s comeback to Parliament after seven years; he had stepped down<\/a> as the premier following his disqualification in 2017.<\/p>\n After the newly elected lawmakers were sworn in, the outgoing speaker allowed PTI\u2019s Omer Ayub Khan to make a brief speech over the latter\u2019s insistence.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to thank the people of my constituency NA-18 and my leader Imran Khan,\u201d Ayub said. He stated that PTI-backed MNAs wanted to register their protest.<\/p>\n \u201cThe oath we have taken today, it clearly states that we will follow the rules and the law [\u2026] but at this point, the house is incomplete,\u201d he said, highlighting that several PTI-backed women lawmakers \u2014 who had won seats in the February 8 general elections \u2014 were languishing in jail.<\/p>\n Subsequently, Ayub urged the speaker to allow Barrister Gohar Ali Khan to speak on the matter of reserved seats. While Ashraf initially expressed reluctance, he later allowed Gohar to make a brief speech and said that he wanted to \u201cset a good tradition in the house\u201d.<\/p>\n At the outset of his speech, Gohar said that PTI-backed lawmakers made it to the NA despite \u201call impossibilities\u201d. He recalled that the party was not allowed to hold rallies and conventions. \u201cBut the nation sent us into this house by supporting the call of \u2018gulaami namanzoor<\/em> [slavery unacceptable]\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cYou become the public\u2019s representatives only when you respect their mandate,\u201d Gohar said, claiming that the PTI had submitted before the Election Commission of Pakistan that it had a strength of 180 members in the NA.<\/p>\n \u201cOur symbol was taken, our leader was convicted in three cases [\u2026] but the nation has shown that the most popular leader of the country is the one and only Imran Khan,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n \u201c[\u2026] No person can sneak into this house without a public mandate,\u201d the PTI leader said, pointing towards the treasury benches where the PML-N and PPP leaders were sitting.<\/p>\n He further highlighted that the NA was \u201cincomplete\u201d as reserved seats had not yet been allocated to the SIC. Gohar then urged Ashraf to halt the election of the speaker and deputy speaker unless the PTI-backed members on reserved seats were sworn in.<\/p>\n The outgoing speaker then granted PML-N leader Khawaja Asif time to speak. Referring to Barrister Gohar\u2019s demand, the former federal minister said the SIC had not submitted a list of its members on reserved seats before the ECP.<\/p>\n Asif then took off his wrist watch and waved it \u2014 an apparent reference to the Toshakhana reference against Imran Khan. Throughout this time, PTI-backed lawmakers chanted pro-PTI slogans.<\/p>\n Shortly before the session began, PTI-backed MNAs-elect chanted \u201cImran Khan zindabad\u201d and \u201cAayi, aayi PTI<\/em> [PTI has arrived]\u201d.<\/p>\n In response, when Nawaz and Shehbaz entered the assembly, members of their party greeted the two with slogans of \u201cSher aya<\/em> [tiger has arrived]\u201d. The two were also met with pro-PTI chants as some MNAs-elect held up posters featuring pictures of PTI founder Imran Khan.<\/p>\n Shortly before the session was about to begin, outgoing NA speaker Ashraf urged the MNAs-elect to take their seats. He emphasised that their first task was to \u201cbecome members\u201d of the lower house.<\/p>\n However, sloganeering continued in the assembly even after the oath-taking, mainly by MNAs belonging to the PML-N and the SIC.<\/p>\n PML-N members shouted \u201cGhari-chor<\/em>\u201d [wristwatch thief] \u2014 an apparent reference to the Toshakhana case against ex-premier Imran Khan \u2014 while the SIC MNAs chanted \u201cWho will save Pakistan? Imran Khan. Imran Khan\u201d.<\/p>\n After taking the oath, the MNAs proceeded to sign the NA roll of members. When it was the turn of PTI\u2019s Gohar<\/a> and Ayub<\/a>, they held up banners in favour of Imran, which read \u201cRelease Imran Khan\u201d.<\/p>\n Speaking to reporters ahead of the session, PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq was asked whether the House would be able to function with a large opposition. He stated that the opposition and the government work together as they were \u201cwheels of the same car\u201d.<\/p>\n Sadiq also added that there was a need for \u201cnational reconciliation\u201d and hoped that the opposition would engage in a \u201cpositive debate\u201d.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, PTI-affiliated MNAs had reaffirmed their loyalty to their party.<\/p>\n Ali Muhammad Khan said: \u201cI had already said this 22 months ago, that my leader will return with a two-third majority.\u201d<\/p>\n He reiterated the party\u2019s claim that it had won \u201c180\u201d NA seats in the February 8 polls, adding that \u201crigging had taken place in the Form 47\u201d. He said that those who thought that the PTI had been \u201cfinished\u201d had been proven wrong.<\/p>\n In a video<\/a> shared by the PTI on X, MNA Zartaj Gul said, \u201cI was born in PTI and my funeral will also depart from PTI.\u201d<\/p>\n On the second day of the National Assembly, the election for the speaker and his deputy will be held before noon, and the pair will be administered oath the same day. On the third day of the session, parliamentarians will select a leader of the house, or prime minister.<\/p>\n \u2018Incomplete house\u2019<\/h2>\n
Sloganeering<\/h2>\n
Govt, opposition to work together: Ayaz Sadiq<\/h2>\n
Election for speaker, PM<\/h2>\n