Ayaz Sadiq set to be re-elected NA speaker

ISLAMABAD: Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will continue to be Speaker of the National Assembly and the strategy drawn up by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) proved to be successful.
The National Assembly session would be summoned on the 26th of this month as per calendar already agreed by the Parliamentary Group leaders. Interestingly, the calendar was approved in the meeting chaired by Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in March last in his capacity as Speaker of the lower house of parliament.
Highly-placed parliamentary sources told The News here late Sunday evening that the victory of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has saved the PML-N from a big ordeal since it would have to pick some other member for the slot. The
planning for bringing Sardar Ayaz Sadiq again as the Speaker of the National Assembly was made by the PML-N political strategist, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan, who is the overall in-charge of the parliamentary affairs.
The sources said that the re-election of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq would take place on the 27th of this month as he will be taking the oath of membership on the first day of the National Assembly.
Acting Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javaid Abbasi, who had an important meeting with Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Friday last (Oct. 9), would administer the oath and the only agenda item on the first day of the National Assembly would be election of the Speaker.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq is the first male Speaker of the National Assembly after his six predecessors who has been re-elected as member of the National Assembly. His six male predecessors, Syed Fakhar Imam, Hamid Nasir Chatha, Gohar Ayub Khan, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Illahi Bux Soomro and Chaudhary Amir Hussain, lost their immediate contest for the National Assembly after quitting the Speakership.
His immediate predecessor, Dr. Fehmida Mirza, got elected from Sindh after relinquishing the speakership of the National Assembly. She was the first lady Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. Interestingly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq got elected just six days ahead of his 61st birthday. He will be 61 on October 17.
Sadiq was elected Speaker of the National Assembly on June 3, 2013, and three candidates were fielded against him, Shaharyar Afridi (PTI), Nawaz Yusuf Talpur (PPP) and S A Iqbal Qadri (MQM). It is likely that the opposition would put up a united candidate against Sardar Ayaz Sadiq this time for the office of the Speaker, the sources hinted.
The PTI chief, Imran Khan, opted to stay away from the National Assembly since he was insulted by Khawaja Muhammad Asif and wouldn’t turn up in the upcoming session either.