ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned sessions of the National Assembly and Senate for Tuesday, October 13, at 6:15pm at Parliament House in Islamabad, according to an official announcement.
Both houses are expected to take up the federal government’s decision to impose emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with parliamentary approval required under the Constitution to sustain the measures.
The emergency has been proclaimed under Article 232 of the Constitution, while governor’s rule has been imposed under Article 234 following the federal government’s decision to take control of provincial affairs.
Constitutional requirements under Article 232
Under Article 232, if the president issues an emergency proclamation on his own, it must be placed before both houses of Parliament for approval by each house within 10 days. The Constitution also requires the proclamation to be laid before a joint sitting, which must be summoned within 30 days. The emergency will cease to remain in force after two months unless approved by a resolution of the joint sitting.
Procedures under Article 234
Article 234, which deals with the failure of constitutional machinery in a province, allows the president to assume provincial government functions or direct the governor to exercise them on his behalf. It also provides for the powers of the provincial assembly to be exercised by or under the authority of Parliament.
A proclamation under Article 234 must be laid before a joint sitting of Parliament and will cease to remain in force after two months unless approved by a resolution of that sitting. It may be extended through further resolutions, each for a period of no more than two months, but cannot remain in force for more than six months.
Distinct procedures for parliamentary scrutiny
The two constitutional provisions therefore prescribe distinct procedures for parliamentary scrutiny. While Article 232 provides for approval by each house within 10 days when the president acts on his own, Article 234 requires approval by a joint sitting within two months to keep governor’s rule in force.
The summoning of the National Assembly and Senate for Tuesday does not, by itself, confirm whether a joint sitting will also be convened or whether voting on the proclamations will take place during the scheduled sessions
