Watch: Imran Khan, Bilawal and others take oath as Pakistan National Assembly members

The members who took the oath included Prime Minister-designate and PTI chief Imran Khan, PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

The first session of the newly elected Pakistan National Assembly was held on Monday wherein all the 331 members were administered oath. Outgoing National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq administered the oath to the members of Pakistan’s 15th National Assembly.

The members who took the oath included Prime Minister-designate and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

As the National Assembly session began, the members first stood for the country’s national anthem, following which they took the oath in unison.

A video of the same was released by Pakistan-based Dawn News.

It was announced by the outgoing Speaker that the election for the new National Assembly Speaker would be held on August 15. The PTI has nominated Asad Qaisar for speaker, while opposition has named Syed Khurshid Shah of the PPP as the joint opposition candidate for the post.

Imran Khan’s PTI, which won 115 National Assembly seats in the Pakistan general elections held on July 25, is facing a stiff opposition in the House. Main opposition parties, PML-N and PPP, hold 82 and 53 seats, respectively.

The PTI, however, has the support of some small parties. The parties backing Imran Khan’s PTI are Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) with seven seats, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) five, Balochistan National Party (BNP) four, Pakistan Muslim League (PML) three, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) three, Awami Muslim League and Jamori Watan Party one seat each.

Imran Khan is expected to take oath as the next Prime Minister of Pakistan on August 18. While the PTI took to microblogging site Twitter on Friday last to announce the date, the same was also confirmed by senior party leader Faisal Javed Khan.

The ceremony is expected to be a modest affair with Pakistani media reporting that Imran Khan has called for austerity. Nonetheless, several high-profile dignitaries - from within Pakistan as well as from abroad - are likely to attend the event.

(With PTI Inputs)