President Dr. Arif Alvi has officially summoned the session of the new National Assembly today at 10 am.
Despite voicing ‘reservations,’ President Alvi approved the caretaker government’s proposal. From the Presidential House, a statement was released wherein Dr. Alvi articulated his concerns regarding the “tone and allegations” in the caretaker prime minister’s summary.
President Alvi criticized the caretaker prime minister’s tone as “deplorable” and emphasized his constitutional role as the head of state, per Article 41 of the 1973 Constitution. He highlighted his 21-day wait to call the NA session, aiming to address issues related to the allocation of reserved seats, insisting that these seats be assigned within the stipulated 21 days under Article 51.
The agenda for the two-day National Assembly session has been disclosed. It includes the oath-taking of newly elected members and the availability of nomination papers for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions from noon on the same day, with elections for these roles scheduled for March 1.
Earlier, Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf called for the session on February 29, a move necessitated by President Alvi’s initial refusal based on the ‘incomplete house’ argument. President Alvi’s reluctance was attributed to awaiting the Election Commission of Pakistan’s notification concerning the reserved seats for the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which received support from PTI-backed lawmakers.
The Speaker is set to administer the oath to the National Assembly’s new members, and the election schedule for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be introduced during this initial session.
According to the Constitution, the first National Assembly session must occur within 21 days following the general elections on February 8.
