Alvi to address joint session today

President Dr Arif Alvi will address the joint session of parliament on Thursday (today) to mark the beginning of the new parliamentary year.

The president convened the joint sitting of the Majlis-e-Shura (Parliament) at Parliament House at 5 pm Thursday under Article 54 (1) and Article 56 (3) of the Constitution.

According to a notification, the agenda include “address by the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan under clause (3) of Article 56 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan”. Parliamentary sources said that the president in his address would present the review of the two-year performance of the government.

The opposition will formulate its strategy before the start of the joint sitting. The opposition has already issued a critical review of the government’s performance and there is a strong possibility of a major backlash from the opposition at the session.

The government will also formulate its response strategy in view of the expected opposition protests. The standard operating procedures (SOPs) will continue to be implemented in view of the coronavirus.

In addition to the joint sitting, it has been decided to convene a meeting of the National Assembly on August 21, for which the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry has sent a summary to the president. A calendar for the new parliamentary year has been prepared under which the National Assembly will meet every month.