ISLAMABAD: The inaugural session of Pakistan’s new National Assembly was held Monday at the Parliament House in Islamabad, marking the county’s third consecutive democratic transition.
The simple but graceful ceremony commenced with the national anthem, followed by recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an.
The outgoing Speaker, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, administered the oath to the newly elected members in a brief ceremony.
He also read out the procedure for the election of the speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, to be held on Wednesday. The nomination papers for these slots can be submitted to the National Assembly Secretariat by 12 noon tomorrow.
All those who took the oath individually signed the roll in alphabetical order to be the members of the house. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari was the first one to sign the roll, reported Radio Pakistan.
Prominent among the oath takers were Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan; President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Mian Shahbaz Sharif; PPP Co-Chairperson and former President Asif Ali Zardari; and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The new National Assembly will also elect the leader of the House, who will be sworn in on Aug. 18.
The PTI claims to enjoy the backing of 180 lawmakers in the 342-seat assembly. PTI chief Imran Khan needs 172 votes to become the new prime minister.
He will be challenged by PML-N president Sharif, who is fielded as the joint opposition’s candidate for the slot.
The country’s new National Assembly came into being a day ahead of Pakistan’s Independence Day on Aug. 14, celebrations for which are already in full swing with a firework show later on Monday to mark the eve of the big day.
Pakistan’s 15th National Assembly holds inaugural session
Pakistan’s 15th National Assembly holds inaugural session
- Pakistan witnessed its third consecutive democratic transition on Monday in an orderly fashion
- The elections for speaker and deputy speaker of the House will be held on Wednesday
Pakistan joins OIC, Islamic nations to reject Israel’s recognition of Somaliland
- Foreign ministers of 21 Islamic nations, OIC issue joint statement to condemn Israel’s move to recognize breakaway African region
- Joint statement describes Israel’s move as a “grave violation of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter“
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday joined the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other Arab and Islamic nations in condemning Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, a breakaway African region, calling it a violation of international law and reaffirming its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia.
Israel this week announced it had recognized Somaliland — a self-declared region that broke away from Somalia in 1991 but has not previously been recognized by any United Nations member state — triggering condemnation from Somalia and criticism from regional bodies.
The joint statement shared by Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Sunday was endorsed by the foreign ministers of 20 other Muslim countries including Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Qatar, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Türkiye, Yemen and others as well as the OIC.
“Their unequivocal rejection of Israel’s recognition of the ‘Somaliland’ region of the Federal Republic of Somalia on 26 December 2025, given the serious repercussions of such unprecedented measure on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and its serious effects on international peace and security as a whole, which also reflects Israel’s full and blatant disregard to international law,” the joint statement said.
The statement said Israel’s recognition constitutes a “grave violation of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter,” pointing out that it reflects Tel Aviv’s expansionist agenda.
The Muslim states said they reject any measures that undermine Somalia’s unity, territorial integrity or sovereignty over its entire territory.
“The full rejection of any potential link between such a measure and any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land, which is unequivocally rejected in any form as a matter of principle,” the statement said.
The statement was referencing international media reports earlier this year that said Israel and the US had reached out to East African states, including Somaliland, to take in Palestinians from Gaza.
Pakistan’s foreign office on Saturday issued a separate statement condemning Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.
“Pakistan strongly condemns any attempts to undermine the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia, and rejects, in this regard, the announcement made by Israel recognizing the independence of the so-called Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” the foreign office had said.
Somalia’s government has said Israel’s recognition of Somaliland violates its sovereignty, while the African Union has opposed unilateral recognition of breakaway regions on the continent.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday his country had recognized Somaliland “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords,” referring to US-brokered deals that helped establish ties between Israel and Arab states.
