President to address joint sitting of parliament today

Ag APP

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi will kick off the second parliamentary year of the National Assembly with his presidential address to the joint sitting of both the houses of the Parliament today (Thursday) at 5:pm.

In his address to the joint session, President Dr Arif Alvi will highlight the one year performance of the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The opposition parties including the PPP and PML-N has sent the request to Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar for the production orders of the detained MNAs including former president Asif Ali Zardari, former prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Rana Sanaullah Khan, Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir. However, Speaker National Assembly has not taken yet any decision with regard to issuance of the production order of detained legislators.

A special security arrangement has been made for the presidential address today.

The opposition is likely to raise the issue of non-issuance of the production order of the detained legislators in the joint session of the both the houses of the Parliament. According to sources the opposition is expected to hold its joint meeting prior of joint sitting of the Parliament to finalise its strategy for the joint sitting of the Parliament. Sources said though informal contacts were made between the PPP and PML-N for formulating the joint strategy and to raise the issue of appointment of two members of Election Commission of Pakistan from Sindh and Balochistan by president and the other issues and it was decided to hold a joint meeting of the opposition prior of session to decide the mode of protest during the joint sitting of both the houses of the Parliament. A senior leader of the opposition told The News that though so far no production order for the detained legislators was issued and will wait till Thursday morning and if these were not issued then the opposition will raise this issue during the session. According to sources in the PPP, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto may skip the joint sitting of both the houses of the Parliament.

The agenda of the joint sitting has been issued and according to which after Talawat, Naat and national anthem, President Dr Arif Alvi will address the joint sitting of both the houses of the Parliament. The president has also summoned the session of the National Assembly on Friday, September 13 at 10:00 am in the Parliament House, Islamabad. He summoned both the sessions in exercise of powers conferred by Clause (1) of Article 54 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.