Islamabad: Raja Pervez Ashraf took oath as the 22nd speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan or the lower house of the country’s parliament. The National Assembly said in a tweet, “Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who presided over the session of the National Assembly, administered the oath of office to Ashraf, former Prime Minister of Pakistan and prominent legislator of the Pakistan People’s Party, on Saturday.
The newly-elected president was the sole contender for the post as no other candidate had submitted nomination papers against him, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Speaker’s post fell vacant after former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser resigned from his post ahead of a vote of no confidence against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was eventually ousted from power on Sunday.
In his inaugural address, Ashraf said it would be his main responsibility as a Speaker to protect the sovereignty of the House while maintaining fairness during the proceedings of Parliament.
“It is necessary to revive the impartiality and sanctity of Parliament to take the country on the path of stability and progress,” he said.
