The joint sitting of parliament is all set to take up for discussion today (Tuesday) the recommendations on new terms of engagements with the United States of America (USA) finalised by the parliamentary committee on national security (PCNS).
The agenda list, however, includes three bills lapsed as the Senate did not pass those within 90-day stipulated timeline.
Per official handout, the president summoned the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) in joint sitting to meet in Parliament House today (Tuesday) at 11.00 am.
“The meeting would debate the PCNS recommendations in detail while three bills are also on the agenda which were passed by the National Assembly but had lapsed as the Senate could not pass those within 90 days’ timeline,” said an official source, requesting not to be named.
The source said the joint session was likely to continue for three days during which it would have a threadbare discussion on all the recommendations finalized by the PCNS.
The government had immediately suspended all sorts of cooperation with the USA in war against terrorism soon after an airstrike by US forces on its twin checkposts in Mohmand Agency on November 26 that left 24 soldiers dead and dozens injured.
The decision included immediate blockade of the NATO supplies through Pakistani land routes into Afghanistan which had badly affected the US forces’ operations in Afghanistan.
Later, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani referred the matter of reopening of the NATO supplies to the PCNS and said only the parliament could take any decision on the matter. After around two dozen meeting of the PCNS, the committee formulated its recommendations unanimously which would be debated by members of the parliament (MPs) today.
The source said the bills including Domestic Violence (prevention and protection) Act 2009, NFC Institute of Technology Multan 2009 and the Stock Exchanges (Corporatisation, Demutualisation & Integration) Act, 2008 would also be taken up by the joint session.
Under rules, if a bill is passed by a House and the other House does not pass it within 90 days, the same is considered lapsed and only joint session of parliament can take it up for passage.
Top-civil and military hierarchy had already deliberated upon the PCNS recommendations on Saturday and a meeting jointly chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and attended by all the heads of coalition partners, services chiefs and the outgoing director-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had discussed the proposals in length.
