ISLAMABAD, Apr 16 (APP):In his inaugural speech here on Saturday, unopposed elected 22nd Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Raja Pervaiz Ashraf vowed to uphold constitutional and Parliamentary supremacy.
He said that the House represents the masses and it would be his utmost priority to revive the sanctity and impartiality of this sacred Parliament.
He said, “This is Diamond Jubilee Year of this homeland and this election will be historic and memorable in the sense that it is the first event in the history of our country that a former Prime Minister was elected for this post.”
Speaker Raja Pervaiz Asharf said that he would maintain the impartiality expected from the office of the Speaker and the tolerance associated with this important position.
He also remarked that as “Custodian of the House” he would uphold the supremacy of the Parliament.
While referring the quotation of Speaker Lenthal who defended his five members in 1642 in the presence of a power-hungry tyrant, Charles Land he told the king in no uncertain terms: “In this House I have no eye of my own to see, nor any language of my own to speak except the one which this House shows me and calls me. In this House I am only the servant and faithful of this House. “
He said that it is the reason that the word custodian does not appear anywhere in our constitution or in the rules and regulations of the National Assembly but this role is an integral part of the position of Speaker.
He also said that it is profound privilege for him to be elected unopposed Speaker of this esteemed House which had elected Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as it first leader.
He said that this House had also elected Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on the same seat. While referring to the speech of The Quaid-e-Azam’s”Remember that you are an independent legislature and you have all the power.”
He said that he would maintain this impartiality while conducting he proceedings of the House.
He said that it would be his first responsibility as Speaker to safeguard the sovereignty of this House and powers it has.
He said that he would rejuvenate the Parliamentary Friendship Groups and Pakistan Institute of Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services. Praising the role of women legislators, he said that he would extend his support to them to work for the women folk through Women Parliamentary Caucus. He also said that women members.
He said that media has attained a significant role in governance. He appreciated the role of Parliamentary Reporters Association and sought their support for improving parliamentary oversight.
He expressed his gratitude to Asif Ali Zardari, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Parliamentary leaders Mr. Asad Mahmood, Maqbool Siddiqui, Khalid Magsi, Akhtar Mengal, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Ghous Bakhsh Mehr,. Nawabzada Shah Zain Bugti, Amir Haider Hoti Aslam Bhootani, Ali Nawaz Shah and Mohsin Dawar for his nomination to the post of Speaker.
