ISLAMABAD, March 22: Senate chairman Mohammadmian Soomro on Saturday called a special session of the 100-seated upper house for Thursday on the request of opposition parties seeking to discuss the US-led war against Iraq and president’s sweeping powers.

A brief statement by the Senate secretariat said the chairman had acted under clause (3) of article 54 of the Constitution that requires him to summon a session within 14 days of receiving a requisition signed by at least one-fourth of the house membership.

It said the Senate would meet in the parliament house on March 27 at 5.00pm.