- President Asif Ali Zardari summons NA session at 5pm.
- Govt works out hefty agenda for legislation in today’s session.
- Law and order situation, foreign policy to come under discussion.
The National Assembly and Senate are set to meet in distinct sessions today (Thursday) following the recent approval of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned a session of the National Assembly at 5pm today in the exercise of powers vested in him under Article 54(1) of the Constitution.
Today’s NA session will be the 22nd session of the current assembly.
The government has reportedly worked out a hefty agenda for legislation.
According to the NA Secretariat, the National Assembly session will take up a 15-point agenda.
A joint sitting will also be held during the sessions which would continue till mid-December. Well-placed parliamentary sources said that the government had no intention to bring the much-speculated 28th Constitutional Amendment in the sessions, The News reported.
Meanwhile, law and order situation and important aspects of the foreign policy would separately come under discussion in the two Houses.
The federal government passed the recent 27th Constitutional Amendment with a majority in both houses, that brought major changes to the judicial structure and military command.
Soon after the tweaks, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said that the 28th Constitutional Amendment would be introduced soon, expressing confidence that it would also be passed by the parliament.
Today, Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will chair the National Assembly session, while Deputy Chairman Senate Saidal Khan will conduct the Upper House proceedings.
Interestingly, the two Houses will run without opposition leaders in their consecutive fifth session.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan designated Mahmood Khan Achakzai in the National Assembly, while Raja Nasir Abbas has been nominated for the Senate. Both are not from the majority party of the opposition in both Houses.
Their appointment carries some technical snags and it is unlikely that the upcoming session will see them as leaders.
The newly elected members of the National Assembly will also take oath of the membership during the session and the exercise is expected to take place next week, once the Election Commission of Pakistan notifies their election.
Sources indicated that the PTI members would create rumpus and hinder the proceedings on account of the by-election’s outcome and Imran’s incarceration.
