ISLAMABAD, May 1: The 25th session of the National Assembly is beginning here on Monday amid speculations about the possibility of presidential address to a joint sitting of parliament and the opposition’s protests over what it perceives to be Gen Pervez Musharraf’s going back on his promise of shedding the army chief’s uniform by December 31, 2004. The government is likely to summon Senate which concluded its sitting last week, sources said.

The present NA session will be the second in the current calendar year which is being held after a gap of only 11 days. Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan Niazi is confident to get through a heavy legislative agenda during the session and does not rule out the summoning of both houses of parliament for the president’s address.

Talking to Dawn on Sunday, Mr Niazi said the opposition’s claim about any violation of the constitution to have occurred was not correct as the article 56(1) does not bind the president to hold a joint sitting of parliament and address it on the eve of a new calendar year.

He said the government had already sent a summary to the president to the effect of summoning a special session of both houses of parliament. The possibility of convening of a special session of parliament cannot be ruled out during the proceedings of the current session.

He, however, said it was up to the president either to address single or both houses of parliament or even send his written speech expressing his opinion about the performance of the government for debate.

The PPP Parliamentarians and MMA rejected outright the government’s interpretation of the constitution in respect of holding a joint session for the purpose of president’s address.

Barrister Aitizaz Ahsan of PPP Parliamentarians contradicted the interpretation of Dr Sher Afgan and said article 56(3) clearly lays down the procedure for a joint sitting of parliament for the purpose of president’s address while article 56(1) was general and it was about holding of joint session for any other purpose.

Liaquat Baloch, the deputy secretary-general of MMA, said the government had already committed a violation of the constitution by not holding a joint session of parliament on the eve of new calendar year and that the president had committed an even greater violation of the constitution by retaining his two offices beyond December 31, 2004.

Talking to Dawn, he said the opposition would stage a strong protest against General Musharraf’s act of breaking his promise over the uniform issue”.