A joint session of both the houses of Parliament is likely to be summoned on December 19, which will be addressed by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, it is learnt on Tuesday. Sources told Business Recorder that Wen Jiabao is due to arrive in the country for a three-day official visit from December 17 on the invitation of Prime Minister Gilani.
The Chinese premier, besides meeting with President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani will also address the joint sitting of National Assembly and Senate on December 19. When contacted, Director Public Relations, National Assembly Secretariat Mehboob Ali Gurmani confirmed that though it has not been notified so far but a proposal was there to summon the joint sitting of the two houses on December 19, which will be addressed by Chinese Prime Minister.
National Assembly Speaker, Dr Fehmida Mirza will preside over the session and deliver the opening speech. Gurmani said that it will be a one-day session and after the address of the Chinese President, the joint sitting will be prorogued. He further said that there was no further agenda of the joint sitting adding that it will be followed by summoning of the session of National Assembly on December 20 for the passage of General Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2010.
Wen Jiabao, will be the sixth world leader to address the joint sitting of Pakistan's Parliament. The other five foreign dignitaries who had also addressed the joint sitting of the Parliament in the past include Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Turkish President Kenan Evran, Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Queen Elizabeth II of Britain. Meanwhile, sources said that strict security arrangements would be made for the joint session of the Parliament.