ISLAMABAD – President Dr. Arif Alvi opted to not summon the National Assembly session until the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) allocated the allocation of reserved seats, the sources privy to the development said on Monday.
The president did not summon the house proceedings despite receiving a request from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
According to the sources, President Alvi emphasized that the assembly would not commence its proceedings until all political parties receive their designated reserved seats.
Although the ECP allocated reserved seats to various political entities, it is yet to assign seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which includes independent candidates supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The matter of allocating reserved seats to the SIC remains pending with the ECP.
The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs forwarded the summary for convening the inaugural session to the president four days ago. However, as of now, the president has not signed the summary, nor has he given a formal response. His decision is currently conveyed verbally.
According to Article 91 of the Constitution, if the president refrains from signing the session summary, the speaker of the National Assembly is obligated to convene the session 21 days after the elections.
In adherence to this constitutional provision, the speaker may call the session on February 29, considering the general elections were held on February 8.
