Daily Times

The new speaker, deputy speaker and 49 newly elected members took oath of their respective offices during last session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly under the chair of outgoing speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir on Tuesday.

PTI candidate Anwarul Haq won the election for speaker with 32 votes, whereas PTI candidate Chaudhry Riaz Gujar won the election for deputy speaker, also with 32 votes.

Earlier, outgoing speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir administered the oath to the newly appointed members after notification of their election was read out by the Assembly secretary. Three newly elected members were not present to take the oath, namely PPP members Chaudhary Yaseen who has been elected on two seats, PPP member Chaudhry Javed Budhanvi, who is said to be sick due to Covid-19, and Muslim Conference leader Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan.

After the oath taking, the speaker adjourned the session till 2pm for the filing of nomination papers for the election of assembly speaker and deputy speaker. PTI nominated former speaker Chaudhary Anwarul Haq for the office of speaker and Chaudhry Riaz Gujar for the office of deputy speaker while opposition parties nominated PPP’s Faisal Mumtaz Rathore for the office of speaker and PML-N member elected on reserved seats, Nasaran Abbasi, for the office of Deputy Speaker.

Following appointment as speaker, Anwarul Haq spoke to the media. He said that the House will be run in an “impartial” manner and that he will do his utmost to faithfully discharge his duties. He asked the people not to pay heed to any rumours circulating about the election for the prime minister. “It will be Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision,” he said.

The leader of the house, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister, will be elected today and will take oath of the office in the evening. The prime minister will not be elected by secret ballot, the Assembly secretary said. x