ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi has convened the joint session of Parliament on August 30, marking the start of the new parliamentary year.
The President will address the members of parliament during the joint session scheduled to start at 5 pm. A joint session with the address of President marks the start of the new parliamentary year.
It will be President Alvi’s second speech to the joint session as President. He had addressed to the joint session of parliament on September 17 last year, which was also the first formal session of the National Assembly after July 2018 elections that brought Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) into power.
Earlier, former President Mamnoon Hussain addressed the joint session of Parliament four times, and Asif Ali Zardari addressed the joint session of parliament for record six times during his tenure.
His predecessor General (retired) Pervez Musharraf addressed the joint session only once during his tenure of almost nine years in which one assembly (2002-2007) completed five-year tenure.
Former Presidents General Ziaul Haq and Ghulam Ishaq Khan had addressed the Parliament on five occasions.
President’s address to the joint session is a parliamentary tradition in the Westminster style of democracy. In the United Kingdom, new parliamentary year starts with the address of Queen.
In his address the President is supposed to analyse the performance of the government and the parliament in the preceding year and give them policy guidelines. Both Houses of Parliament hold a detailed discussion on the speech separately.
However, most analysts believe that Presidential addresses have nothing substantial except a written speech they deliver elucidating the performance of the incumbent government over the years
Meanwhile, President Arif Ali has also summoned a new session of the National Assembly at 4pm on September 2.
