President to address joint session of parliament today

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari will address the joint session of parliament today (Monday) to kick-off the second parliamentary year of the current National Assembly (NA).

The joint session of parliament will be held today (Monday) and all preparations for the session have been completed, while the NA Secretariat has issued a one-point agenda for the joint session of parliament.

NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq will preside over the joint session of parliament while President Asif Ali Zardari will address the joint session.

The second parliamentary year will also begin with the president’s address. The president of Pakistan had summoned the joint session of parliament on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The NA Secretariat has made strict security measures for the joint session of parliament. A complete ban has been imposed on the entry of guests into the Parliament House on the basis of security reasons. A limited number of invitation cards have also been issued to journalists. The services chiefs and foreign ambassadors, governors and chief ministers will also attend the joint session.

However, there is a strong possibility of protests from PTI members of parliament. PTI members have been continuously protesting in the House for the past one year and are demanding that Imran Khan be released.

The president in his presidential address will outline the government’s previous year’s achievements and set the tone for the upcoming year.

President Zardari’s speech will highlight the key accomplishments of the government over the past year, with a particular focus on economic policies and their impact. He will emphasize on national understanding and consensus on national issues. He will give a policy statement on regional issues, especially the issue of Kashmir and Palestine (the situation in Gaza).

He will give a policy statement on national security issues, especially to deal with the challenge of terrorism.