Aseefa Bhutto takes oath as MNA

ISLAMABAD: Aseefa Bhutto Zardari took the oath as a member of the National Assembly amid sloganeering from the opposition members on Monday.

The parliamentarians from the treasury benches retaliated immediately, forcing the prorogation of the requisitioned session due to a lack of quorum. The PPP parliamentarians turned the tables on the opposition members, disallowing them to take the floor during the requisitioned session of the National Assembly, which was prorogued within 20 minutes on Monday.

The speaker had summoned the NA session on the requisition of the opposition, but the PTI-backed members from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) fell short of completing the quorum in the House.

PPP member Syed Naveed Qamar also regretted the attitude of the opposition members, saying that it has been a tradition for the chair to administer the oath to every new MNA on the first day of entry into the House.

Members from the treasury benches left the NA hall after PPP parliamentarian Abdul Qadar Patel pointed out the lack of quorum in the House, as the two sides continued raising slogans against each other.

Upon counting, Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq noted that the House was not in order as only 64 members were present. The speaker announced that the issue on which the opposition had requisitioned the session was subjudice, and, therefore, it was not placed on the order of the House.

The House prayed for those who died in different incidents, including acts of terrorism, accidents, and recent rains in the country, as well as the martyred Palestinians.

President Asif Ali Zardari witnessed the oath taking of her younger daughter Aseefa at the Speaker Chamber on live proceedings on NA’s internal broadcasting of session. Zardari stayed at the Speaker Chamber for about 45 minutes and left the Parliament House after the prorogation of the session.

Earlier, the NA Speaker received the president on arrival. Aseefa seated beside with her elder brother Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while taking the oath as an NA member to start her parliamentary carrier.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman, Faryal Talpur and other PPP leaders were also present in the visitors’ gallery to witness the oath-taking of Aseefa.