RAWALPINDI: The first directly elected National Assembly of Pakistan begins its historic session tomorrow morning [April 14] in the State Bank building in Islamabad. One hundred and forty-four members from West Pakistan, elected in December 1970, on the basis of adult franchise, will attend the session along with only two of the 169 members from East Pakistan. This special three-day session of the Assembly is being held under an agreement arrived at between the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, the National Awami Party and the Jamiatul Ulema-i-Islam on March 6 last. ...

The agenda is: (1) vote of confidence in the Government; (2) approval of the continuation of Martial Law till Aug. 14 this year; (3) adoption of an interim constitution based on the Government of India Act 1935 read with the Indian Independence Act of 1947; and (4) the appointment of a House Committee to prepare a draft of the permanent Constitution by Aug.1 this year.

Despite apprehensions ... about postponement of the session following a dispute between the signatories over the interpretation of two clauses of the March 6 agreement, political circles appeared hopeful ... that the last-minute behind-the-scenes parleys between the ruling party and the NAP-JUI may finally succeed in eliminating the tension... . — Newspaper’s special representative

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2022