ISLAMABAD: Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, has convened a joint sitting of the country’s parliament on March 9 for the presidential election.
The session is scheduled to commence at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with members from both the National Assembly and the Senate duly informed by the assembly secretariat.
This joint sitting has been called in accordance with the powers vested in the Speaker by clause (b) of Rule 9 of the Presidential Election Rules, 1988.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had previously designated March 9 as the polling day to elect the new president. The election will take place simultaneously at the Parliament House in Islamabad and the legislative assemblies of the four provinces.
Joint Session of Pakistan’s Parliament
In the race for the presidency, the ruling alliance has nominated former president Asif Ali Zardari as its nominee.
On the opposition front, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the chief of Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party, emerges as the contender for the coveted office.
Nomination papers for Asif Zardari were formally submitted at the High Courts in both Islamabad and Karachi by PPP leader Farooq H. Naek and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, respectively.
Meanwhile, the nomination papers of Mahmood Khan Achakzai were submitted at the Islamabad High Court by Latif Khosa, Omer Ayub Khan, and other representatives.
As the nation gears up for the presidential election, all eyes will be on the joint session of parliament on March 9 to elect the country’s next head of state.
