Pakistan’s newly-elected Nat’l Assembly begins inaugural session

Pakistan’s newly-elected Parliament on Thursday began its maiden session after President Dr Arif Alvi finally summoned the Assembly following differences with the caretaker government over the issue of former prime minister Imran Khan’s party-backed candidates being allotted the reserved seats.

The opening session, headed by outgoing Speaker of the previous Parliament, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, began after a delay of more than an hour, reports indianexpress.

Early on Thursday, Alvi approved a move from the caretaker parliamentary affairs ministry to summon the newly-elected National Assembly’s first session on February 29, according to a statement posted by the president’s X account.

“Subject to some reservations, President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned to convene the National Assembly on February 29 in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 54(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” the statement said.

It said that the president accorded his approval keeping in view “the mandate and implications of the timeline given in Article 91 (2) and subject to some reservations and expecting the resolution of the issue of the reserved seats before the 21st day [after the general elections].”

The late-night statement also took issue with the tone of the summary sent to Alvi by the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, adding that the president was calling the session as he expected that the issue of reserved seats would be settled by the 21st day after the polls, as envisaged in the law.

According to constitutional provisions, the meeting of the National Assembly must be convened within 21 days of the elections, and February 29 is the mandated date under Article 91.

The newly elected Parliament commenced its maiden session on Thursday amidst a row over the alleged rigging of votes._Agencies.