President Dr Arif Alvi has decided against convening a session of the National Assembly until the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) completes the allocation of reserved seats. Sources indicate that despite receiving a summary from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to convene a session, the president has taken the stance that the lower house of parliament will remain incomplete until all parties are assigned reserved seats. While the ECP has allocated reserved seats to political parties, it has yet to assign the reserved quota to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which includes independent candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The ECP has stated that the matter of reserved seats for the SIC is currently pending with it. The summary sent by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to the president four days ago has not yet been signed for convening the inaugural session of the National Assembly. Dr Alvi has neither accepted nor rejected the summary so far; only a verbal stance has been presented. According to Article 91 of the Constitution, if the president does not sign the summary for convening a session, the speaker of the National Assembly is mandated to convene a session on the 21st day following the elections. In accordance with this, the speaker can convene the session on February 29, following the general elections held on Feb 8. Responding, senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Senator Ishaq Dar, has asserted that if President Dr Arif Alvi fails to summon a National Assembly session, the constitutional prerogative allows the Speaker to convene the session on February 29. Dar, addressing the media outside the Punjab Assembly, emphasised that according to constitutional mandates, a session of the National Assembly must be called within 21 days from the date of general elections, thereby underscoring the urgency of the matter. He further highlighted that this principle extends to provincial assemblies as well, clarifying that if a governor fails to summon the session of a provincial assembly, similar procedures can be followed. PPP Leader Shazia Marri has said that President Dr Arif Alvi is “misusing authority” by not delaying summoning of the new National Assembly. “It is necessary for the president to call a session of the National Assembly without delay on the summary of the prime minister,” she said in a statement, adding that the president should follow the Constitution rather than the “orders of one person”. She said that Alvi is the same president who tried to “unconstitutionally” dissolve the Assembly in the past as well. She said that Alvi’s violation of the Constitution and misuse of office will remain a part of history. “The National Assembly elections have been completed, the president is bound to convene a session,” she said.