September 15, 2008	Monday	Ramazan 14, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: President Asif Ali Zardari in his first address to the joint session of parliament on Sept 20 would unveil the government’s policies on economy, foreign affairs and war on terror with special reference to air strikes by US forces in tribal areas, an official source told Dawn on Sunday.

“This time Mr Zardari will come up with comprehensive guidelines for the government to address major problems confronting the country, right from skyrocketing prices, power shortage, flour scarcity, pressure on the rupee, law and order situation in the settled areas and frequent violations of territorial limits of the country by the US forces,” the source said.

When contacted, Mr Farhatullah Babar, the spokesman for the president, said Mr Zardari would meet a constitutional requirement by addressing the joint session of parliament that Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf had ignored.

“The first address of Mr Zardari to parliament is quite significant and will prove that the president will run the office in accordance with the Constitution,” he said.

Mr Babar said the president would touch all important issues confronting the nation and would give proper guidelines to the government.

Meanwhile, the president has summoned the joint sitting of parliament on Sept 20, says an official notification issued by National Assembly Secretariat.

The president, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 54 read with clauses (1) and (3) of Article 56 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, has summoned both the houses to assemble together in the parliament building on Saturday.