ISLAMABAD: Former speaker National Assembly and senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq on Saturday questioned the “biased” role of incumbent Speaker Asad Qaiser with regard to the opposition’s no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In a statement, Sadiq termed Qaiser’s role as “biased and partial”, adding that if the speaker is so sure that the no-confidence motion will be defeated, then he should immediately call the session of the National Assembly on the requisition of the opposition which has already been submitted to his office.

“I urge Asad Qaiser to convene the session immediately by fulfilling his constitutional obligation and allow the members to decide freely…Speaker Asad Qaiser has become controversial by stating that “no-confidence motion will fail” and that it is a “global conspiracy”.

“Mr. Speaker, who is hatching this global conspiracy,” he asked, adding that Qaiser should provide the evidence before the nation to prove his claims.

He added that the speaker might be referring to the historic inflation, record foreign debt, economic catastrophe, unemployment, budget deficit to be a “foreign conspiracy”. “It’s not appropriate for a person holding the slot of speaker National Assembly to issue statements in support of the government,” Sadiq said, adding that such statements were in clear contradiction to the constitutional and parliamentary practices.

“Speaker Asad Qaiser’s statement reflects the support of the government and the bias for the opposition,” he further stated.

“If the attitude of the speaker is biased, then how he would fulfil the requirements of justice and constitutional obligations,” he asked, adding that the slot of the speaker is a respected position, and he should refrain from making statements that create a biased impression.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022