Senator Ishaq Dar, a prominent figure within the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has emphasized the constitutional authority vested in the Speaker of the National Assembly to convene a meeting if the President fails to do so.
Speaking to reporters outside the Punjab Assembly, Senator Dar highlighted the constitutional provisions allowing the Speaker to call a session if the President does not initiate the process.
According to the PML-N leader, a summary requesting the convening of a National Assembly meeting has been forwarded to the President's office. However, with the President yet to act on the summary, he asserted that the Speaker possesses the legal prerogative to convene the assembly session, as stipulated by the constitution.
The seasoned politician underscored that the constitutional framework clearly delineates the Speaker's authority to convene the assembly in the absence of action by the President. He emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that 17 days have elapsed without a response from the President regarding the assembly meeting.
Dar further elaborated that the constitution grants the Speaker 21 days to convene a meeting if the President does not take action. Consequently, February 29 stands as the deadline for the Speaker to exercise this authority. He emphasized that similar rules apply to provincial assemblies, where the governor's failure to convene a meeting invokes the same constitutional provision.
Senator Dar's remarks shed light on the constitutional mechanisms in place to ensure the functioning of the legislative bodies, emphasizing the importance of adherence to constitutional protocols in governance.
