ISLAMABAD: The president has issued an order allowing a member, elected to the National Assembly or Provincial Assembly, to resign his seat before the first meeting of the concerned Assembly. “Notice of such resignation is to be addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner in writing,” an official statement said today [Feb 20]. It said: “The Order, called the Legal Framework (Amendment) Order, 1971 ... was made by the President on February 18 and was released yesterday … for general information. ...The Order... amends the Legal Framework Order, 1970 […] by adding the following clause to Article 11 of the L.F.O.

“(4) A person elected to be a member who wishes to relinquish his seat before the first meeting of the Assembly may resign his seat by notice in writing under his hand addressed to the Commissioner.”

[Meanwhile, as reported by an agency in Washington,] The national emergency system for warning Americans of an impending nuclear attack was put into operation by accident.... But hundreds of radio stations ... failed to act on it and carried broadcasting as usual. Under national notification procedures all radio stations are supposed to stop regular programmes ... to allow authorities to broadcast emergency information.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2021