A brewing controversy surrounds the impending National Assembly session as President Dr. Arif Alvi appears hesitant to initiate its inaugural proceedings, citing concerns over reserved seats allocation. This reluctance has drawn sharp criticism from the coalition of PML-N and PPP.
The PML-N asserts that, following the expiration of the February 29 deadline, the speaker has the authority to autonomously convene the session. However, a former official from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has dismissed this claim.
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President Alvi received a summary from the caretaker parliamentary affairs ministry urging the initiation of the NA session on Monday. Despite this plea, he exercised his constitutional authority to defer the session by 15 days, citing apprehensions about the completion of the reserved seats allocation process.
However, he later received information indicating that, according to the Constitution, the NA session must be summoned on February 29, with a mandate to convene within 21 days of the elections.
Consequently, the papers for the NA speaker will be presented to the assembly secretariat on March 1, followed by the election for the new speaker and deputy on March 2. Nomination papers for the election of the prime minister will be submitted on March 3, with the election scheduled for March 4. The election of the new president will be conducted by the ECP on March 9.
Meanwhile, the ECP has yet to decide on granting reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which allied with PTI-backed independent candidates. The SIC approached the ECP seeking reserved seats allocation but had not fulfilled the necessary requirements under the law.
Amidst the controversy, PML-N leader Senator Ishaq Dar and PPP leader Shazia Marri criticized President Alvi’s delay in convening the NA session, accusing him of misusing his authority and violating the Constitution.
Former ECP Secretary Kanwar Dilshad disputed Dar’s claim that the NA speaker could convene the session independently, stating that it is the president’s prerogative. However, he acknowledged the constitutional obligation to convene the session within 21 days of the elections.
Additionally, PPP Parliamentary Leader Ali Haider Gillani raised concerns over President Alvi’s alleged misuse of office, emphasizing the importance of upholding democratic principles and condemning any indication of bias in his actions.
