MPAs take oath in KP, Sindh, Balochistan assemblies

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The inaugural sessions of the new Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan assemblies were convened on Monday, where MPA-elects took oath of their offices.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA-elect Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha administered oath to elected members of the assembly amidst tight security arrangements by the police.

Later, the members of the assembly signed the register roll.

The PTI emerged as the single largest political party with 64 members who also took oath besides members of the opposition, minorities and women MPAs elected on reserved seats.

A total of 112 newly elected MPAs took oath in the KP Assembly.

During the session, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Nighat Orakzai raised a point of order to express grief over the death of PTI candidate Ikramullah Gandapur.

A special information counter for the newly elected MPAs was set up where they were given necessary information by the assembly staff.

A joint meeting of the opposition took place after the oath-taking during which names were agreed on for the slots of chief minister, opposition leader, speaker and deputy speaker.

Nomination papers for office of the speaker and deputy speaker of KP Assembly would be submitted by treasury and opposition benches today.

In Sindh, the newly elected MPAs were administered oath by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, following which they signed the register roll in alphabetical order.

The oath-taking took place in three languages in the Sindh Assembly: Urdu, Sindhi and English.

A total of 164 out of 168 were sworn in, with one member, Pir Fazal Shah, taking oath from a National Assembly seat.

Notifications were not issued for the other two, Zulfiqar Ali Shah and Tharparkar’s Razzaq Rahemo. PS-87 was vacant as polling on the seat was postponed following death of TLP’s candidate.

Following the oath-taking, a joint meeting of the opposition in Sindh Assembly took place during which discussion took place over the names for prospective chief minister and speaker.

The opposition announced to support candidate from Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan for the speaker post, and a candidate from PTI for the opposition leader.

In Balochistan Assembly, 59 MPAs were administered oath by Speaker Rahila Hamid Khan Durrani.

As in other provinces, the Balochistan Assembly session took place amid high security.

The Punjab Assembly session has been summoned on Wednesday, August 15 at 10am.

Earlier today, newly-elected MNAs took oath in the inaugural session of the 15th National Assembly.