ISLAMABAD - President Dr Arif Alvi will address a joint sitting of parliament today (Thursday) to formally initiate second parliamentary year of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

The members of opposition parties may stage protest by shouting slogans during the speech of President Arif Alvi on different issues.

They will raise the matter for not issuing production orders of four members, including Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and two members from North Waziristan, Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar, currently in the custody of law enforcement agencies (LEAs), sources in opposition parties shared with The Nation.

The opposition parties’ members and sources said: “we will raise anti-government slogans on numbers of issues including inflation, increase in petroleum prices and recent cancellation of joint session of the parliament. The president last week had revoked his order for summoning the session.

The president, according to the parliamentary tradition, has to address the joint sitting of the parliament to share roadmap for present government and loopholes of government in the previous parliamentary year. The senior members from opposition and sources said that they would try to take the floor but the Speaker may only give floor to the President for his address and prorogued the session soon after his address.

Political pundits viewed that the president would share the present government’s effort for the Kashmir cause and other steps taken by the government for the betterment of masses.

The ceremony may also be attended by chiefs of armed forces and other notable dignitaries.