Khuhro elected speaker unopposed
KARACHI: Nisar Ahmad Khuhro and Shehla Raza of the Pakistan People’s Party have been elected unopposed on Sunday as speaker and deputy speaker of the Sindh Assembly.
Speaker Sindh Assembly Syed Muzaffar Husain Shah announced that no other candidate, except the PPP candidates Nisar Ahmad Khuhro and Shehla Raza, filed nomination papers. He said their nomination papers were valid and declared them as elected unopposed.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had decided after an understanding with the PPP, not to contest the election for the offices of speaker, deputy speaker and the chief minister. Similar was the decision of the other opposition parties – the PML-Q, PML-F and NPP.
It will not be out of place to mention that Nisar Khuhro is the second PPP leader elected unopposed as Speaker Sindh Assembly; earlier Syed Abdullah Shah was elected as speaker in the year 1988, when the PPP and the MQM had formed an alliance.
Sunday was the day to file nomination papers for the offices of the speaker and deputy speaker and the session for their election was to be held on Monday. The PPP candidates Nisar Khuhro and Shehla Raza filed their nomination papers with the Assembly Secretary Hadi Bux in the morning and no other candidate filed nomination papers for these offices. Speaker Syed Muzaffar Husain Shah scrutinised the papers and found them valid.
The MQM had collected nomination papers on Saturday for both offices, but after negotiations with the PPP, it decided not to field its candidates. The MQM also decided not to contest the election of chief minister scheduled to be held on Monday.
Nisar Khuhro and Shehla Raza had arrived at the assembly to file the nomination papers along with other party leaders, including Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, Manzoor Wassan, Shazia Marri, Murad Ali Shah, Shama Mithani and federal minister Naveed Qamar.
Speaking after he was declared elected unopposed as speaker, Nisar Khuhro said he was thankful to his party and people for selecting him for this office. He said he would prove that the PPP was a democratic party and would set good democratic traditions.
Referring to the incident in the Sindh Assembly on Saturday, he said it had happened due to overcrowding and because some people could not control their emotions. However, he said, steps would be taken to control such incidents in future and establish the rule of law, while the sanctity of the assembly would be maintained.
Shehla Raza, speaking after she was declared elected as deputy speaker, said she would run the House according to rules and procedures. Shehla, who was a leader of the studentsà wing of the PPP, said she was a worker of the party and felt honoured on her selection for the office of deputy speaker.
Source: The News
Date:4/7/2008
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