Of the total 336 elected members, 302 were sworn in on Thursday and their oath was administered by Outgoing NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf during the noisy inaugural session of the National Assembly.
The Election Commission of Pakistan yet to decide on the allocation of reserved seats for the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) rendering the house incomplete so far.
Prominent political figures who took the oath included PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, former premier Shehbaz Sharif, ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Three Senate members, Nuzhat Sadiq, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, and Yousuf Raza Gilani, resigned from the upper house to join the National Assembly.
The session concluded with the announcement that elections for the NA speaker and deputy speaker would be held the following day, while the election for the prime minister was scheduled for Sunday, March 3.
PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif made a noteworthy return to Parliament after seven years, having resigned as premier following his disqualification in 2017.
The session witnessed a moment of tension when PTI’s Omer Ayub Khan voiced concerns about the incomplete representation in the house, particularly the absence of PTI-backed women lawmakers in jail.
In response, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan stressed the importance of respecting the public mandate and urged a pause in the speaker and deputy speaker elections until reserved seats were allocated for PTI-backed members.
Sloganeering added to the charged atmosphere, with PTI supporters chanting “Imran Khan zindabad” and PML-N responding with “Sher aya” (the tiger has arrived).
As the session drew to a close, the outgoing speaker emphasized the need for lawmakers to take their seats and function as members of the lower house, despite continued slogans and disruptions.
Looking ahead, the schedule outlined elections for the speaker and deputy speaker on the second day, followed by the selection of the prime minister on the third day.
Shehbaz Sharif is the joint candidate for prime minister against PTI-backed Omar Ayub, while Ayaz Sadiq will contest the speaker election against PTI-backed Amir Dogar.
