Entered parliament to save democracy, says Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shehbaz Sharif remarked on Monday that he didn’t enter the parliament to protect the rigging in 2018 elections rather protect the country’s democratic system.

The elections held on July 25 were the most controversial polls in country’s history, he remarked while addressing a PML-N’s parliamentary party session in the federal capital.

“We had rejections the elections on the night of July 25. We will raise our voices against rigging both inside and outside the parliament,” he said.

Regarding his plan of action against alleged rigging, the former Punjab chief minister shared that the party will demand a probe in the rigging. “We will demand the formation of a parliamentary commission. We will also present our demand of conducting a forensic audit before the parliament.”

Congratulating all the parliamentarians who took their oaths during the inaugural session of the National Assembly earlier in the day, Shehbaz remarked that all political parties must play their part to the fullest. “I will try my best to fulfil the role for which nation elected me.”

Newly-elected MNAs took oath in the inaugural session of the 15th National Assembly on Monday. The swearing-in marked the third consecutive democratic transfer of power in the country.

Outgoing NA speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq administered oath to the newly-elected members. This was followed by signing of the ‘Roll of Members’.

A total of 324 MNAs took the oath today, with five more yet to do so. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, who is set to become the country's next prime minister, was among those sworn in, along with other prominent leaders including PPP's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Zardari, and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif.