ISLAMABAD, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was elected the speaker of the National Assembly or the lower house of the country's parliament on Friday, according to an official announcement made by Raja Pervez Ashraf, the outgoing speaker.

Sadiq got 199 votes of the total 291 votes polled in the 336-member house and defeated Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, a candidate of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). Dogar received 91 votes, while one vote was rejected after the members of the house cast their votes by secret ballot.

"Sadiq is declared as Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. I hope that he will play his role to run the house according to the country's constitution," said the outgoing speaker before administering the oath to the new custodian of the house.

Sadiq, 69, was elected as a member of the lower house from Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore in the general election on Feb. 8, 2024. He served as the speaker of the house twice between 2013 and 2018.

Following his oath as the 23rd speaker of the house, Sadiq will preside over the assembly's session to elect a new deputy speaker.

The National Assembly is likely to elect the country's next prime minister on Sunday. The PML-N's President Shahbaz Sharif has appeared as a strong candidate for the position after Sadiq became the speaker of the house with the support of an alliance of the PML-N, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan. Enditem

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