Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The last parliamentary year of the current National Assembly will begin today with President Arif Alvi set to address a joint session of parliament.

Under Article 56’s clause three, the president must address the Parliament after each general election and the first session of the parliamentary year to inform the lawmakers of the “causes of its summons”.

This will be the shortest parliamentary year since it would consist of 310 days if the NA isn’t dissolved earlier.

President Alvi was to address the joint session on August 14, but due to the apprehensions of the coalition government, the address was postponed.

However, sources told that all the matters have been settled after the president’s meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

On the other hand, sources told that the president is expected to throw light on the performance of the government in the past year while identifying the goals of for the following year.

This will be the fifth and the last presidential address to the Parliament.

The first presidential address to the incumbent assembly was made on September 17, 2018, the second on September 12, 2019, the third on August 20, 2020, and fourth on September 13, 2021.

NA sources say, so far, a total of 156 bills, including private members bills, have been passed by the incumbent lower house. Of these bills, 10 were passed during the first parliamentary year, 30 during the second parliamentary year, 60 during the third parliamentary year, 54 during the fourth parliamentary year and the remaining two during the fifth parliamentary year, which formally started on August 14, 2022.

A total of 122 bills have become Acts after the approval of the president during this tenure.