The deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan presides over the assembly whenever the speaker is absent or unable to perform his or her duties. The office has its roots in 1947 when the Deputy Speaker was addressed as the Deputy President of the legislative assembly. After the ratification of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, the office was re-established. Currently, the position of Deputy Speaker is held by Ghulam Mustafa Shah who was elected by the National Assembly of Pakistan on 1 March 2024 along with the Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
The office of the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly is created by Article 53 of the Chapter 2 in Part III of the Constitution of Pakistan. The Deputy Speaker acts as Speaker on occasions when the Speaker is unable to do so. If both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are unable to fulfil the role, another person is appointed to temporarily act as Speaker.[1]