November 16, 2002	Saturday	Ramazan 10, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 15: The maiden session of the 11th National Assembly will be held here in the parliament building, renovated at a cost of Rs75 million, on Saturday morning.

The former speaker of the NA, Ellahi Baksh Soomro, will administer oath to 334 members of the house. It will be the first all-graduate Assembly in Asia.

The MNAs will take oath and sign in the roster and then the session will be adjourned.

Out of the full house of 342, election has been completed on 341 seats and seven members have been elected on two seats, therefore, 334 newly-elected members will take oath in the inaugural session.

PREPARATIONS: The NA Secretariat spent a busy day on Friday finalizing arrangements for the session.

Until evening 260 elect-members of the National Assembly had registered with the Assembly Secretariat and received their identity cards.

The Assembly Secretariat had set up special counters at the airport and railway station to welcome the MNAs.

The foundation stone of the present building of parliament was laid on Aug 14, 1974 by the then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and inaugurated by Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo on May 28, 1986. —APP