Pakistan's new National Assembly begins session, 329 members take oath
Islamabad, Aug 13: The maiden session of Pakistan's newly-elected National Assembly began here on Monday, with the outgoing speaker administering the oath to 329 members of the Lower House of the Parliament as part of the country's second democratic transition of power.
Presiding over the 15th Parliament session, Speaker of previous National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq administered the oath to the new members in the 342-member house. This was followed by signing of the "Roll of Members", marking their presence in a register, Dawn online reported.
The session, summoned by President Mamnoon Hussain, commenced with the National Anthem and was followed by the recitation of the Holy Quran.
Prime Minister-in-waiting and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was among those sworn in, along with other prominent leaders including Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) President Shehbaz Sharif.
Bilawal Bhutto, who has been elected to the National Assembly for the first time, shook hands with Khan as the members took their seats.
Elections for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly will be held on August 15.
The PTI has already nominated former Speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Asad Qaiser for the office of National Assembly Speaker while the joint opposition, comprising 11 political parties, fielded PPP's Syed Khurseed Shah for speakership.
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Asadur Rehman was nominated for the post of deputy speaker.
Elected members of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan provincial assemblies were also sworn in. The Punjab Assembly session, on the other hand, is slated for August 15.
According to the poll body's figures, the PTI now has 158 members in the National Assembly after the joining of nine Independents and bagging of 33 seats reserved for women and minorities.
It faces a strong opposition from the PML-N with 82 seats, followed by PPP's 53 seats and MMA with 15 seats. These three had earlier joined forces to take on Khan.
The PTI chief is scheduled to take the oath of office on August 18 at the President's House. Shehbaz Sharif is the joint candidate of opposition parties for the top post.
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Emotional tributes paid to cops killed in blast at gunpowder dump of Maoists in Chhattisgarh
Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): Emotional scenes were witnessed on Sunday as wreaths were laid on the mortal remains of three of the four police personnel killed in an explosion in a gunpowder dump of Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district.
The grieving family members were inconsolable, while security personnel tried to comfort them.
Amid chants of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram," public representatives, along with senior police and administrative officials, paid tributes to the deceased personnel.
The wreath-laying ceremony to pay homage to Inspector Sukhram Vatti (40), constables Krishna Komra (35) and Sanjay Gadhpale (29), killed in the explosion on Saturday, was held at the Police Lines in Narayanpur district, neighbouring Kanker.
The mortal remains of constable Parmanand Komra (29), who succumbed to injuries during treatment in Raipur, will be shifted to Kanker, where a separate wreath-laying ceremony will be held, police said.
Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam, after paying homage, told reporters that the four police personnel made the supreme sacrifice while protecting the region.
"I pay my homage to them," he added.
The four personnel were killed while they were attempting to dispose of a gunpowder dump hidden earlier by Maoists in a forest near Aadnar village under Chhotebethiya police station limits in Kanker district, according to police.
It was the first explosion linked to Naxalites in the state since it was declared free from armed Maoists on March 31, and also the first instance this year in which security personnel engaged in anti-Naxal operations lost their lives.
District Reserve Guard (DRG) official Vatti, who was leading the team, hailed from Bijapur district. Constable Krishna Komra of the district force and constables Gadhpale and Parmanand Komra of the Bastar Fighters were residents of different villages in Kanker.
