Islamabad: Pakistan's new National Assembly formally came into being on Saturday as members-elect were sworn in at its first session, marking a historic transition of power through the democratic process in the country's 66-year history.
Before the start of the session, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) — successful in the May 11 general election — met and nominated its chief Nawaz Sharif for prime minister.
The 342-member assembly will elect a leader of the house or prime minister on June 5, with Sharif set to become chief executive of the country for a third time in his 28-year political career.
The outgoing Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza, who belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and won on its ticket a seat in the new assembly, administered the oath to the incoming lawmakers. She will hand over the chair to the next Speaker to be elected on Monday.
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Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which is in third position with 35 seats in the assembly after the PPP with 40 seats, was absent at the inaugural session.
The former cricket star, elected to the assembly from three constituencies, was injured before the general election in an accidental fall from a forklift at a campaign rally in Lahore where he is recuperating at home after being discharged from hospital.
The chief of influential religious-political Jamiat Ulema Islam-F (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, also did not attend the first session and his party said he would take the oath later. JUI-F is currently in negotiations with PML-N for a likely share in the incoming government.
On his arrival from Lahore, Sharif hailed the first ever "peaceful transition" of power in the country through the democratic process.
His party, he told reporters, had significantly contributed to strengthening democracy in the country and the nation played its pivotal role by participating in the nationwide vote held after the PPP government completed its five-year term in March.
"I hope in future too change will take place through the ballot," said the wealthy businessman politician, whose previous government was toppled in a military coup in 1999 by retired general Pervez Musharraf, currently under detention at his farmhouse on criminal cases.
Sharif said governments should come and go in a civilised manner as peaceful transition manifests civilised behaviour.
Addressing the PML-N parliamentary party meeting, he said the new government would have to deliver and come up to the expectations of the nation troubled by a weak economy, the menace of terrorism, acute energy shortages, corruption and other social and economic problems.
Illustrating the magnitude of financial woes, he said the country needed up to Rs550 billion (Dh35.6 billion) to get rid of the circular debt in the power sector to overcome the energy crisis.
"All of us will have to sacrifice our personal ambitions to ensure deliverance from debts and deficits. The PML-N has no other option but to live up to the public aspirations," he said.
Sharif vowed a crackdown on corruption saying, "I promise that corruption would not be tolerated."
Besides steps to provide relief to people from the electricity crunch in the minimum possible time, the PML-N leadership has outlined a plan for peace talks with the Taliban in a bid to bring terror attacks to an end.
In a statement on Friday, Sharif expressed "serious concern and deep disappointment" over a US drone strike four days ago in North Waziristan tribal area, the first after the general election.
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Thursday confirmed the death of its deputy leader Waliur Rehman in the drone strike and announced it was abandoning the idea of talks and would launch revenge attacks.
"The drone attack is not only a violation of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity but also an action that has been declared a violation of international law and UN charter," Sharif said in the statement, asking the US to give peace a chance.
01 Jun, 2013
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