ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has summoned the next session of the National Assembly on Dec 5 for its fourth parliamentary year, says a notification.

It will be the 30th session of the present National Assembly and first session of the fourth parliamentary year, which commenced on Nov 16.

A source told Dawn that the National Assembly after remaining in session for 12 days, including two holidays, would be prorogued on Dec 16.

The present assembly is only the second National Assembly in the past 20 years to complete three parliamentary years. Earlier, former prime minister Mohammad Khan Junejo and his assembly had completed three years and two months when former president Gen Ziaul Haq dissolved it on May 29, 1988.

Meanwhile, Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) parliamentary secretary Izhar Amrohvi said that according to the Constitution, the president was required to address the joint sitting of parliament at the commencement of the new parliamentary year. Therefore, he said, under Article 56 of the Constitution, Gen Musharraf was required to address the parliament on Dec 5.

Mr Amrohvi said that so far Gen Musharraf had only addressed the parliament at the commencement of the second parliamentary year. He said if President Musharraf did not come to parliament on Dec 5 to address parliamentarians then it would be the violation of Article 56 of the Constitution for the third time.