Javed Abbasi becomes second deputy speaker from Abbottabad

ABBOTTABAD: Murtaza Javed Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has become the 18th deputy speaker of the National Assembly and second from the same district and the same constituency of NA-18 Abbottabad-II.
In the 2002 general election, Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob of the PML-Quaid had secured this position by defeating Murtaza Javed Abbasi.In 2002, Sardar Yaqoob was accommodated for two reasons. First, he was from a small province, the erstwhile NWFP, and second, to give a berth in the cabinet to another MNA from Abbottabad, Amanullah Khan Jadoon at a later stage.
This time, too, Murtaza Abbasi was chosen for this slot to leave the space open for seasoned politician Sardar Muhammad Yousaf in the federal cabinet. As Sardar Mahtab Khan couldn’t make it to the National Assembly for the first time ever since he started contesting elections from Abbottabad, the chances of Sardar Yousaf have become brighter for securing a berth in the cabinet.
Murtaza Abbasi is the third deputy speaker of National Assembly from Hazara. The first was Muhammad Haneef Khan of Mansehra, followed by Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob.
Hazara division has a history of getting its MPAs elected as speakers and deputy speakers of provincial assembly. Nawaz Khan of Sarai Saleh in Haripur was deputy speaker of the province during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto-led government when Nasrullah Khan Khattak was the chief minister in the mid-70s.
Raja Amanullah of Mankerai, Haripur, remained the speaker of the then NWFP Assembly from 1985 to 1988, followed by Maj (r) Habibullah Khan Tareen of Darvesh village of Haripur who served as speaker of the then NWFP Assembly from 1990 to 1993.
Murtaza Abbasi is the eldest son of former PML-N MNA and Senator Javed Iqbal Abbasi. He defeated Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob of the PTI and Sardar Haider Zaman of the Tehreek-e-Suba Hazara from NA-18 by a comfortable margin. It may have prompted his leadership to yet again “accommodate” a winning candidate from this

constituency as a deputy speaker in order to give a major post to a small province.