ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi will not administer the oath to the new prime minister because his successor will be chosen before the premier’s election.
The oath-taking ceremony for members of the newly elected National Assembly could take place on February 26, three days before the deadline for summoning the house for its inaugural session, followed by a similar exercise the next day.
If the elected members of both chambers take the oath in the national legislature, they will no longer be members of the provincial assembly.
Well-placed legislative sources told The News Monday evening that the election of the Senate’s 53 members, chairman/deputy chairman,deputy chairman, and thus the election of the country’s president, must take place before March 8, as time will be restricted for conducting the polling for the president’s position.
According to insiders, if the president is elected a week sooner, incumbent Arif Alvi would not take the oath of office, but the incoming president will do so. According to sources, once members of the National and Provincial assemblies have taken oath, they will be allowed to vote first in the election of Senate members.
The sources have revealed the timeframe for the entire process and told his reporter that the members of the assembly will have to submit their expense data by February.
The session of the National Assembly could be held on February 26, while provincial assemblies could be called on the same or next day. After the oath is administered, individuals will become regular members of their respective houses. The Senate election process will begin, lasting four days.
As soon as the Senate oath is completed, the program for the presidential election will begin. On the other hand, the five-day election period for speakers, deputy speakers, and prime ministers in the National Assembly, as well as chief ministers in provincial assemblies, will begin, according to reports.
It is worth noting that President Arif Alvi declined to administer an oath to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on August 14, 2022.The Chairman of the Senate was responsible for carrying out the function. Arif Alvi, who had skipped it due to a health issue, was present in the presidency throughout the oath-taking, which he viewed through the lofty building’s closed-circuit TV system. The caretaker prime minister and cabinet members will remain in their respective offices until the incoming prime minister takes oath.
