Speaker does not have power to summon NA session, says former ECP secretary

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Kanwar Dilshad, the former secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan, has stated that the Constitution clearly stated that it was mandatory for the sessions of the National and provincial assemblies to be called 21 days after general elections were held.

He said that the president should summon the session within 21 days, which is Feb 29.

He further said that if the president was refraining from calling the session, then one-third of the members could write to the speaker to requisition the session.

“But the question which then arises is that since they [elected representatives] have not yet taken the oath, then the speaker cannot requisition the session. So it seems that the speaker does not have the power, the president does,” he said.

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