Mirza elected first woman Speaker of the Pakistan National Assembly

Islamabad: Dr Fahmida Mirza took over Wednesday as the first woman Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan after being elected with more than two-third majority of the 342-member lower house of parliament.

The 51-year old candidate of the dominant coalition led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of slain leader Benazir Bhutto received 249 votes.

Her rival Israr Tareen of opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) and its allies including Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) polled 70 votes in the secret ballot at the ornate parliament hall.

Parliamentary leaders from both sides of the divide congratulated the new head of the assembly after the election conducted by outgoing Speaker Amir Hussain who handed over the chair to the successor.

PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi combined felicitations with a caution against institutional confrontation, a thinly veiled reference to a looming showdown over the majority coalition's vow to restore 60 judges President Pervez Musharraf fired late last year.

Elahi said his party had wholeheartedly welcomed the February 18 election mandate of the people but deplored wheeling and dealing in Balochistan to get over PML-Q's status as largest group in the provincial assembly.

Positive role

He however pledged a positive role by the opposition and hoped the National Assembly would complete its five-year term like the previous one born from the last 2002 elections did.

Javed Hashmi of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N, a coalition partner of PPP and second in strength in the assembly, as well as others on the treasury benches laid stress of parliament's sovereignty.

"A silent revolution has taken place in the country," said Hashmi, who spent four years in jail under the government of Musharraf.

He said that the "extra-constitutional steps" that Musharraf took in November under emergency rule would not be validated by the parliament and the sovereignty of the august house would be fully established. Hashmi said there would be no compromise on the independence of the judiciary. "Those who violated the constitution should mend their ways; otherwise the constitution provides for punishment to them," he said.

Makhmoom Amin Fahim, PPP Parliamentarians president, said the country was now moving from dictatorship to democracy. "This is our collective duty to rise above personal considerations and make the country a cradle of democracy, peace and stability," he said.

He praised Asif Ali Zardari, saying the PPP co-chairman was a "man of his word who never goes back on his promise".

The new assembly session's second day after it formally came into being on Monday was affected by trouble outside the parliament building between police and journalists after the former cut cables of a private tv channel.

MPs brought up the issue to the notice of the new Speaker, some terming it a "conspiracy" against the assembly and others demanding action against the police officers involved in the incident.

Speaker Fahmida Mirza ordered that the severed cables be restored immediately and members sought an end to the "monopoly" of state-run television on coverage of assembly, which was the norm in the past eight years.

The National Assembly yesterday elected Faisal Karim Kundi, the candidate of the majority coalition, its deputy speaker in a secret ballot.

Kundi, an MP from North West Frontier Province belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party, polled 246 votes against 68 secured by Khushbakht Shujat, the candidate of the combined opposition from the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM).

Earlier Mirza of PPP, the joint candidate of the majority coalition, was elected Speaker of the National Assembly with more than two-third majority vote, defeating opposition's Israr Tareen.

The assembly became functional on Monday when the members elected in the general elections in February took oath.

With the election of the speaker and the deputy speaker at the second day's sitting, the National Assembly will now elect the leader of the house or prime minister at a session to be summoned by President Pervez Musharraf.