Newly elected MNAs sworn-in amid protest by PTI-backed lawmakers

The 16th National Assembly came into effect on Thursday with the oath-taking of the lawmakers elected on February 8 amid allegations of “rigging” with the highlight being the return of former premier Nawaz Sharif to the Parliament after more than six years.

Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered the oath to the 284 members present in the House.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, ex-president Asif Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman were among the top politicians who took the oath today amid protests by the members affiliated with Imran Khan’s party.

The session started with a ruckus as soon as the national anthem ended with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed lawmakers, who have joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), surrounding the speaker’s dias.

The party had already announced it would protest in today’s session against the alleged rigging.