NA session: newly elected lawmakers sworn in

ISLAMABAD: Newly elected lawmakers took oath of their office on Thursday at the maiden session of the 16^th National Assembly (NA) session amidst ruckus of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed lawmakers. 

Outgoing Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered oath to the newly-elected MNAs.

The session began with the recitation from Holy Quran and later a Naat was also recited.

Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto, Maulana Fazlur Rehman were among the top politicians present in the House.

Soon after the national anthem, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed lawmakers, surrounded the speaker’s dias

It was after an appeal by the speaker that the lawmakers settled down and the oath was taken by all the members. 

However, as soon as the oath was administered the PTI-SIC lawmakers asked the speaker that they be allowed to speak on a point of order. 

But their request was turned down, as the speaker informed them that they could raise the point of order after they had signed the attendance register.

With this, the speaker directed the NA secretary to summon the lawmakers one by one to sign the attendance register.

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The PTI-supported lawmakers also chanted slogans in support of Imran Khan like “Imran Khan zindabad”.

Amid the signing, the SIC lawmakers started chanting “qaidi number 804” the number given to PTI founder Imran Khan in the Adiala jail where he remains incarcerated since August 2023.

In response, the PML-N lawmakers started shouting “ghari chor” (watch thief) in the House. 

The new oath-taking lawmakers include the country’s political leadership from major parties including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and others.

Foolproof security arrangements

Foolproof security arrangements were made in and around Parliament House in Islamabad as the inaugural session of the newly-elected National Assembly held.

A contingent of Frontier Constabulary and Islamabad Capital Territory police was posted at the main gate of the parliament.

All traffic which was entering Red Zone was diverted to D-Chowk and Margalla Road.

Meanwhile Sareena Chowk was closed for all sorts of traffic while traffic coming from Murree Road and Club Road was diverted to Embassy Road. Nadra Chowk remained open to bike-riders only.

Amid alternate route plan advisory by ICT traffic police, a long queue of vehicles was reported at Embassy Road in Islamabad.