Balochistan elects first woman deputy speaker
01 January, 2013
QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Monday elected Dr Fouzia Marri as its deputy speaker, the first woman to be elected to the position. The leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) Syed Matiullah Agha was elected as speaker. It is for the first time in the parliamentary history of the Balochistan Assembly that a female legislator has been elected unopposed as deputy speaker in the provincial legislature. The slot of speaker fell vacant after the House adopted with majority a no-trust motion against former speaker, Muhammad Aslam Bhootani, on December 26. The session of Balochistan Assembly teed off with Deputy Speaker Matiullah Agha in the chair for the elections of speaker and deputy speaker. While there was no other agenda other than the election, Agha, being a candidate for speaker, left the speaker's seat and the assembly was later chaired by Dr Fouzia Marri, member of Panel of Chairmen of the House. No other candidate submitted nomination papers for the slot of the speaker, upon which Matiullah Agha was elected speaker of the assembly unopposed. He was administrated oath by Dr Fouzia Marri. Following his election, the slot of deputy speaker fell vacant and break was given for the election of deputy speaker. Besides Dr Fouzia Marri, PML-Q leader Dr Basant Lal Gulshan had also submitted his nomination papers for the slot of deputy speaker, but later he withdrew. End.
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