(Daily Point) — Lawmakers convened in the National Assembly today to select the country’s 24th prime minister (PM) amidst a tumultuous session marked by disruptions from members of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
Under the stewardship of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, proceedings commenced with the swearing-in of PML-N’s Jam Kamal.
However, the atmosphere soon turned raucous as SIC members vocally supported incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and the alliance backing Shehbaz Sharif, leading to interruptions in the session.
In response, Speaker Sadiq initiated a brief recess, directing Assembly staff to ring the bell for five minutes to allow absent members to join for the prime ministerial election. Following this, he ordered the doors to be locked and outlined the voting procedure.
Informing the legislators of the candidates, Speaker Sadiq announced Shehbaz Sharif and Omar Ayub as contenders for the premiership. He designated separate lobbies for voting, with “Lobby A” for Shehbaz’s supporters and “Lobby B” for Omar’s.
As the voting commenced, members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) staged a walkout, boycotting the election process.
Shehbaz, backed by seven allied parties, emerged as the favored candidate in the head-to-head contest against Omar, supported by the SIC. Both candidates had their nomination papers accepted by Speaker Sadiq a day prior. To secure the premiership, either candidate must garner 169 votes in the 336-member assembly.
Meanwhile, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar is set to welcome the incoming premier at the Prime Minister’s House. Kakar, who vacated the PM House, will continue his duties until the official notification of the new chief executive.
Preparations are underway at the PM House to receive the new premier on Monday, following the election. Plans include a guard of honor and a welcoming ceremony, anticipating clear weather after recent rainfall. Kakar’s tenure as caretaker PM, lasting 200 days, surpasses the previous record held by Muhammad Mian Soomro.
