Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
The National Assembly’s first session after the general elections is expected to be held on Feb 29. The Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan terms it mandatory to convene the session of the National Assembly within 21 days, following the day on which a general election is held, to elect Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Leader of the House.
The newly elected members of the assembly will take the oath in the inaugural session. Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf will preside over the inaugural session and newly-elected members will take the oath from him for the National Assembly. The members will be notified within 14 days after the elections, and the 60 and 10 seats reserved for women and minorities, respectively, will be granted afterwards.
The notification is expected to be released on Feb 21 or 22 for the session. Independent candidates are obliged to join any party within three days after the release of the notification.
It would be the 16th National Assembly which would have a total of 336 members, including 60 seats reserved for women and 10 for non-Muslims.
