Pakistan’s parliamentary session kicks off

President Asif Ali Zardari has called for moving on from the polarisation plaguing domestic politics during his record 7th parliamentary address, which was marred by sloganeering and counter-sloganeering from the opposition and treasury benches.

Pakistan’s parliamentary session has kicked off as the joint sitting is underway following the February 8 elections here today.

The joint session started with the recitation from the Holy Quran followed by Naat.

President Asif Ali Zardari addressed the joint session amid opposition members’ anti-government slogans and counter slogans by treasury benches.

“Let me take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to all parliamentarians and provincial assembly members for their trust and confidence in electing me for a second time as the president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. I am humbled, ” Zardari said in his seventh address as a president to the  joint sitting.

The president said that if we see as a new beginning today we can invest in our strength and people by focusing on public needs.

He stressed that Pakistan needed its leaders to move from the polarisation so common, to contemporary politics. He added that the House must play a role in rebuilding confidence.

Disrupting the president’s address, opposition member were raising slogans:” Go Zardari Go”. The members of opposition  benches were also carrying posters of PTI founder Imran Khan.

The joint session of the parliament was convened by President Asif Ali Zardari under the powers provisioned in Articles 54 (1) and 56 (3) of the Constitution.

President Zardari has also summoned the National Assembly session tomorrow (Friday) at 10:30 am in exercise of the powers conferred to him under Article 54 (1) of the Constitution.

Earlier, the joint session was convened on April 16 but was rescheduled for April 18 (today).