PTI's Wasiq Abbasi elected PA deputy speaker unopposed

PTI's Wasiq Abbasi was elected on Saturday the new deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly (PA) unopposed after no one from the opposition side submitted nomination papers, Aaj News reported.

The office of the deputy speaker fell vacant after Abbasi's predecessor, Dost Muhammad Mazari, was removed from the post through a no-confidence movement.

The newly elected Punjab Assembly Speaker, Sibtain Khan on July 29 announced the contest on the said slot on July 31 (tomorrow) at 1pm at Punjab Assembly. He further shared that the nomination papers will be submitted by 5pm to the assembly secretariat.

PTI's Sibtain Khan elected Speaker Punjab Assembly

Talking to reporters after the passing of the deadline, assembly secretary Inayatullah Lak said that he waited for the opposition's candidate till 5:15pm but he did not show up.

He also read out Rule 9 of the Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, 1997 which states: "At any time before 5pm, on the day preceding the day on which the election is to be held, a member may propose another member for election as Speaker by delivering to the Secretary a nomination paper 2 [set out in Part A & C of First Schedule] signed by him and accompanied by a statement by the member whose name is proposed that he is willing to serve as Speaker if elected."

Lak further explained that as per the rules Awan was elected the new deputy speaker.

Earlier today, Sibtain Khan of the PTI took oath as the new Punjab Assembly speaker in place of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who has been elected as the chief minister.

Sibtain Khan received 185 votes. He was up against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) Saif ul Malook Khokhar, who received 175 votes.

Out of the 364 votes cast, four were rejected during the session presided over by PTI MPA Waseem Khan Badozai.