ISLAMABAD, Nov 4: Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan has declined to preside over the inaugural session of the National Assembly slated to be held on Friday.

The Chief Executive had nominated Justice Irshad, the CEC, to preside over the inaugural session.

It has been a tradition in the country that the CEC presides over the inaugural session at the time of transition from the military to civilian rule.

In 1985, Justice S.A. Nusrat, the then CEC, had presided over the first session till the Speaker was elected.

Justice Irshad, who had presided the SC bench which had validated the military take-over by invoking the doctrine of necessity, in a letter to President Gen Pervez Musharraf said that he had learnt through news broadcast that he would preside the first “historic session of the National Assembly”.

The military government has changed the defection law to the extent that if a member of the assembly fails to vote for his party in the budget session and during a vote of confidence, the parliamentary leader might refer his case to the Speaker for onward reference to the CEC for his disqualification on the grounds of floor crossing.

The CEC, in his letter, said his nomination to preside over the inaugural session was a “unique honour”. “However,” he added, “you may graciously appreciate that the cases relating to qualification and disqualification of the members of parliament shall be referred to me by the Speaker, as the case may be, the Senate chairman, if and when an occasion so arises.”

Keeping in view that situation, the CEC said, the propriety demanded that some other suitable person be nominated to preside over the first session.

An official source said that the Rules of Business for the National Assembly have already been amended empowering the president to nominate any member-elect to preside over the first session. The nominated member would be required not to be a candidate for the office of Speaker. He would be able to cast his vote in the election for Speaker, the official added.