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Friday March 29, 2024

President summons NA session today

By Muhammad Anis
September 17, 2021

ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi summoned the National Assembly (NA) to meet today (September 17) at 11 am. An expected stormy NA session, the first sitting of the House in the fourth parliamentary year of the sitting assembly, will start at the Parliament House today.

A motion by the government, seeking to refer a bill envisaging controversial electoral reforms to joint sitting of the Parliament, is also on order of the day today. Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs will move motion under sub-rule (7) of rule 154 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007 read with Article 70(3) of the Constitution, that the Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021, as passed by the National Assembly but not passed by the Senate within the stipulated period of 90 days, be referred to the Joint Sitting for consideration and passage.

The period of 90 days for the Senate to pass the legislation regarding electoral reforms had already lapsed on September 13. The sub-rule 7 of rule 154 says that if a bill is transmitted to the Senate, is rejected or not passed within 90 days of laying in the Senate or is passed by the Senate but not passed by the National Assembly, with such amendment, any minister, in case of a government bill or any other case, any member, may after giving two day notice, move that the bill may be considered in the joint sitting.

The opposition parties will also register strong protest against Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) bill and increase in prices of petroleum products and electricity tariffs. The government will also move The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Higher Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and The Higher Education Commission (Second Amendment) Bill for passage.