ISLAMABAD, June 8: President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday called the Senate to meet on Saturday to begin what will be the second budget session of the upper house.

A brief statement by the Senate secretariat said the house had been summoned to meet on June 12 at 7.30pm, shortly after the national budget for fiscal 2004-05 is due to be presented before the National Assembly.

Although a money bill like the finance bill containing the annual budget statement must originate in the National Assembly, a constitutional amendment decreed last year provided for a simultaneous transmission of a copy of the bill to the Senate as well.

Within seven days, the Senate must make recommendations on the budget to the National Assembly, which is not bound to accept them.

The National Assembly must consider the Senate recommendations before passing the bill with or without incorporating them. After that the bill is to be sent to the president for assent.