National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has called a session of the National Assembly for March 25 at 11 am, at the request of opposition parties who filed a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan on March 8.

The assembly speaker’s decision to call the session came a day after the joint opposition slammed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for allegedly attempting to postpone the crucial session under the guise of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Islamabad on March 22-23.

The opposition leader and PPP chief, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, had even threatened to disrupt the session by staging a sit-in in front of the assembly.

He had previously warned that if the National Assembly speaker did not allow the no-confidence motion to be tabled on Monday, his party and the other opposition parties would stage a sit-in in front of the National Assembly.

The opposition, however, attempted to retract his remarks, claiming that the OIC session in Islamabad was a source of pride for the opposition leadership and that it would not do anything to disrupt the meeting.

NA SESSION

According to a statement issued by the National Assembly Secretariat on Sunday, the NA speaker summoned the session using powers granted to him under Articles 54 (3) and 254.

In his order, the speaker said that due to renovations at the Parliament House ahead of the OIC meeting, no suitable place would be available to hold the session before March 24.

“After the receipt of requisition on March 8, the National Assembly Secretariat requested the Senate Secretariat to provide Chamber of the Senate for holding of National Assembly session. The Senate Secretariat informed that the Senate chamber is also not available being under renovation.”

Qaiser further said the CDA chairman and Islamabad deputy commissioner were also approached for an alternate arrangement outside the Parliament House but that also remained an exercise in futility.

“Having no adequate option available whatsoever, for holding of the Session of the National Assembly before March 24 in the exercise of powers conferred upon me under Clause [3] of Article 54 of Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan read with Article 254I, hereby summon the session on the first available date i.e. Friday at the Parliament House, Islamabad,” the order issued by the speaker read.

ARTICLE 54

Article 54 states that a session of the National Assembly can be requisitioned if at least 25 per cent of the members sign it, after which the speaker has 14 days to convene the session. Once the assembly is in session, the secretary will distribute a notice for the no-confidence resolution, which will be moved to the next working day.

From the day the resolution is moved, the rules add, it “shall not be voted upon before the expiry of three days, or later than seven days”.

Therefore, the experts say, the speaker must call the lower house into session by March 22, and voting on the no-confidence motion must take place between three and seven days after the session is summoned.

(With Inputs from agencies)

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