The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday said the National and provincial assemblies would be formed by February 29 as the Constitution says the first session of the assemblies should be held within 21 days after elections, which were held on February 8.

The presidential election, as per the Article 41 (4), should be held within 30 days after the general elections, the electoral watchdog said in a statement.

“A public notice will be issued alongside the schedule for the presidential polls on March 1,” ECP statement added. “Nomination papers for the aforementioned event will be accepted by March 2.”

It may be noted that newly appointed members of the Punjab as well as Sindh assemblies have taken oath.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter and leader of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz has been elected as the new chief minister of Punjab. She became the first woman to secure Punjab CM’s position.

Meanwhile, Syed Murad Ali Shah secured the Sindh’s CM slot for the third time. The assemblies of the other two provinces, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), are likely witness the first session tomorrow.

However, the National Assembly session became controversial after President Arif Alvi reportedly declined to summon the session on grounds of non-allocation of reserved seats to Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

ECP adjourns hearing Sunni Ittehad Council’s plea on reserved seats

Informed sources told Business Recorder that Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf chaired a consultative meeting on Monday after President Alvi rejected the summary and returned it with reservations of incomplete process of allocation of the reserved seats.

As per the sources, the speaker has called the inaugural session of the 16th National Assembly on February 29 under Article 91 (2) of the Constitution.