Newly Elected MNAs Take Oath; SIC Members Protest

Web Desk — The 16th National Assembly came into effect on Thursday with the oath-taking of the newly-elected lawmakers. The notable thing was former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s return to the parliament after more than six years.

Outgoing Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered the oath to the 302 members present in the House.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, former president Asif Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Ali Mohammad Khan, Umer Ayub, Hamza Shehbaz were among the top politicians who took oath amid protests by the members of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

The inaugural session of the 16^th National Assembly started with a ruckus as soon as the national anthem ended with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed lawmakers, who have joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), surrounding the speaker’s dias.

During the signing of the role of honor, some SIC member hurled a mask towards Nawaz Sharif. The situation in the lower house of the parliament remained full of commotion.

The SIC members did not keep quite despite multiple requests by the speaker and kept on making verbal attacks on Nawaz Sharif. In response, the PML-N lawmakers started shouting “ghari chor” (watch thief) in the House. 

On Friday, election for the speaker and deputy speaker of the NA will be held.