ISLAMABAD: The 16th National Assembly on Thursday came into effect with the oath-taking of the members elected by the people during the February 8 general elections. The oath to the newly elected members was administered by the outgoing Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The maiden session of the 16th National Assembly of Pakistan has started following a delay of more than an hour. The session started with the recitation of the Holy Quran and outgoing National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in the chair.
Leaders of different political parties including PML-N Nawaz Sharif, PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PTI leader Barrister Gohar have arrived at the parliament to attend the first session of the National Assembly.
Talking to media at parliament house, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif termed it an “enmity” against the nation to write a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). His remarks come just days following PTI founder penned a letter to the IMF regarding Feb 8 general elections.
Earlier, the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi has signed a summary, moved by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, regarding summoning of the National Assembly’s (NA) inaugural session today (Thursday) at 10 a.m.
In a statement from the Presidency on Wednesday, Dr. Arif Alvi also voiced reservations over the summary forwarded by PM Anwaarul Kakar. The president termed the tone of the caretaker prime minister is deplorable.
Dr. Arif Alvi added as the head of the state under Article 41 of the Constitution 1973, he waited for 21 days to call the NA session so that the issue about the allocation of reserved seats would be resolved.
Meanwhile, the two-day schedule of the NA inaugural session has been released. According to the schedule, newly elected members will take oath in the session beginning at 10 a.m. The nomination papers for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elections can be collected from noon on the same day.
The elections for Speaker and Deputy Speaker will take place on March 1. Speaker of the National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had called the first session of the lower house of Parliament on February 29 after President Arif Alvi did not agree to summon the session saying the House was incomplete.
Responding to a summary by the Parliamentary Affairs Division last week, President Alvi said the NA was not complete, so he could not call the session as sought.
Under the Constitution of Pakistan, the first session of the National Assembly is required to be held within 21 days after the general elections.
A senior official of the Secretariat of the National Assembly said the president is bound to call the NA session within 21 days of the elections, else, the secretariat itself could summon the session.
