President summons NA tomorrow

ISLAMABAD- The President, in exercise of the powers conferred by Clause 1 of Article 54 of the Constitution, has summoned the National Assembly to meet in the Parliament building on Monday (tomorrow) at 5:00 pm. Meanwhile, a joint parliamentary parties meeting of the coalition partners has been called on Monday, ahead of the National Assembly session, to discuss the political situation in the country obtaining out of the decision of President's impeachment by the ruling coalition. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman informed the media persons outside Zardari House that the ruling coalition would draw its strategy for the NA session in the joint parliamentary parties meeting on Monday morning. The sources in the PPP and PML-N disclosed that before the joint parliamentary parties meeting, PPP and PML-N would have separate meetings of their parliamentary parties to evolve their strategy for the NA session which was called by President on Monday afternoon. The sources further disclosed that following the resolutions adopted by all four provincial assemblies demanding of the President General (Retd) Musharraf to get fresh vote of confidence from the Parliament, the NA would also demand the same from the President. And if the President failed to do so, the coalition government would go for his impeachment, they added. The Information Minister said the provincial assemblies, being part of the electoral college of the President, would start moving resolutions one by one from Monday demanding from him to take vote of confidence. She further said that the initiative would come from Punjab Assembly that would be followed by Sindh and NWFP assemblies, and finally by Balochistan Assembly. She further said that the Task Committee was in the process of giving final touches to the impeachment resolution including the charge sheet and the same would be completed soon. The Information Minister asserted that all impeachment proceedings would be under Article 47 of the Constitution and a comprehensive planning and concrete homework had been ensured to script the charge sheet. "We want to move forward through consultative process to avoid any ambiguity and misunderstanding over the issues," she added. Sherry said PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif were in constant contact and the matters would also be discussed with Prime Minster Yousuf Raza Gilani, as he was scheduled to preside over the parliamentary party meeting before NA session on August 11.

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