Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has declared that his party will not participate in the election process for the National Assembly speaker, deputy speaker and the prime minister.
Speaking to the media after the Lower House's session to administer oath to newly elected members, the Maulana categorically stated that the JUI-F would not participate in this parliament and sit on the opposition benches.
When asked how it felt coming to the assembly once again, the JUI-F chief said it was not an assembly, but something else. To another question if his party would resort to a protest or a freedom march against the recent elections, he urged to "wait and watch".
When a journalist asked him if he thought the new assembly would complete its five-year term, Fazl said it not seem so. "We will not be part of the election of speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly and prime minister," he stressed.
He further said that they considered this parliament less as a representative of the people and more as a "representative of the establishment".
A short while ago, the 16th National Assembly of the county was sworn in when Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered the oath to newly elected members of the House in its inaugural session amid noisy protests by the opposition benches.
The newly elected MNAs were administered the oath by the speaker after which they all also signed on the registration rolls. The election for the Lower House speaker and deputy speaker will be held tomorrow, March 1.
Following the national anthem, the Sunni Ittehad Council’s MNAs-elect gathered in front of the speaker’s dais and created a commotion with a strong protest with slogans and chants. As a result, the PML-N members also responded with counter slogans of "Ghari chor (watch thief)" against the PTI and its leadership.
