Daily Times

President Asif Ali Zardari is scheduled to address the joint session of the parliament on April 16, to mark the beginning of the parliamentary year, following the general elections.

The joint session of the parliament will be held on Tuesday, April 16, at 4pm, according to a President House press release.

He would address the joint session in pursuance of Article 56 (3) of the Constitution which states, “At the commencement of the first session after each general election to the National Assembly and at the commencement of the first session of each year the President shall address both Houses assembled together and inform the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) of the causes of its summons.”

President Zardari summoned the joint parliamentary session in exercise of the power conferred under Articles 54 (1) and 56(3) of the Constitution.

Last month, Zardari, the coalition government’s candidate for head of state took oath as the 14th President of Pakistan after securing 411 votes against his PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) presidential candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s 181 votes.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath at a ceremony at the Presidency. The event was attended by governors and chief ministers of all provinces except K-P CM Ali Amin Gandapur.

The ceremony had a special guest, the grandson of Zardari. Besides, ambassadors and high commissioners of more than 70 countries, including the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirate (UAE), also participated in the ceremony.