Amidst delays in convening the National Assembly session, President Arif Alvi has yet to summon the lower house of parliament despite a summary sent by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Sources reveal that President Alvi has cited the incomplete status of the National Assembly due to the non-allocation of certain reserved seats as the reason for the delay. This discrepancy arises from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) withholding the allocation of reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) following the inclusion of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent candidates into their ranks.
The ECP has stated that the issue of SIC reserved seats remains “pending before the commission.”
Reports suggest that President Alvi has neither accepted nor rejected the summary, providing only a verbal response on the matter.
In response to the delay, the caretaker federal government asserts that the National Assembly session will proceed on February 29, even without the president’s signature on the summary, citing Article 91 of the Constitution.
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Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar has indicated that if the president does not act, the National Assembly speaker could summon the session on February 29 under constitutional provisions.
The caretaker government underscores the constitutional obligation to convene the National Assembly session within 21 days of general elections, emphasizing that if the president fails to sign the summary, the session will proceed as scheduled.
Earlier announcements had suggested that the inaugural session might occur between February 22 and February 29, in accordance with constitutional timelines. Caretaker Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi clarified that the president’s role is limited to convening the session within the stipulated timeframe.
The summoning of the National Assembly session is pivotal, marking the commencement of parliamentary proceedings, including the oath-taking of newly-elected Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and the subsequent elections for key parliamentary positions.