Deadlock between govt and president continue over convening NA session

The federal government and President Dr. Arif Hussain Alvi found themselves at odds over the convening of the National Assembly session, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.  

The dispute rests around whether the session can be summoned when the parliament is not complete.

According to sources, the federal government has responded to the objections of the president along with a further request to the President to reconsider his decision and convene a meeting in accordance with the Constitution.

The federal government contended that there is no provision in Article 91 that prohibits convening the NA session under such circumstances.

However, President Alvi, invoking Article 54, has asserted his authority to delay the session until all reserved seats are allocated.

He maintained that adherence to constitutional obligations took precedence over ordinary procedures.

Sources reveal that the federal government has requested President Alvi to reconsider his decision.

According to clause 2 of Article 91, convening the NA session within 21 days after elections is compulsory.

Even if the president does not call a meeting on February 29, the session will proceed as scheduled.

The government argued that the extraordinary session is essential for fulfilling constitutional requirements. “Under clause two of Article 91 of the Constitution, the meeting must be convened by the 21st day of the election date.”

It added that it is not written anywhere in this article that if the house is incomplete, the session cannot be called.

In response to President Alvi's stance, PPP leader Shazia Marri emphasized that constitutional obligations should guide his actions.

She urged him to avoid manipulating the constitution, citing historical instances where such misuse of presidential powers had lasting consequences.

 Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Imran Khan supported President Alvi's decision, asserting that their party's mandate in the elections had been stolen. He criticized the denial of reserved seats and called it a grave violation of public trust.

 Senator Ishaq Dar from PML-N also criticized President Alvi, accusing him of attempting to violate the Constitution by delaying the NA session beyond the mandated timeframe.