By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday summoned a joint session of the parliament for September 20 which he will address the same day at 3 p.m.
The summary for the joint session was sent to the President by Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs two days ago.
His address will end the precedent of not addressing the joint session of the parliament set up by the former president, which is a constitutional requirement.
President Musharraf addressed the joint sitting of both the houses in January 2004 but following the rumpus during his speech, he declared the parliament as ‘uncivilized’ and afterwards never called the joint session.
By not addressing the joint session again, he committed a breach of the constitution.
According to the constitution’s article 56, the president is bound to address the joint sitting of the Senate and the National Assembly at the start of every parliamentary year.
President Zardari’s address comes at a time when the country is confronted with various internal and external challenges.