Assembly building being spruced up

The inaugural session of the newly-elected National Assembly is round the corner when members will take oath and elect new Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the assembly.

The National Assembly building is being decorated and refurbished and staff has been making hectic preparations to accord a befitting reception to the newly elected lawmakers on their arrival for oath-taking ceremony.

Special counters have been set up at the newlyinaugurated Islamabad International Airport and staff of the National Assembly’s Secretariat has been assigned various duties to guide the MNAs-elect and escort them to assembly hall from the airport on the occasion of their oath-taking ceremony.

Each MNA would be escorted by a staff member of the National Assembly Secretariat who will brief him/ her on his/her role about the maiden session of the Assembly.

Talking to Gulf News, senior officials of the National Assembly’s secretariat said they had prepared folders for each member of the National Assembly in which copies of rules of business, Constitution of Pakistan and necessary information about their official residences in Parliament Lodges would be given. A booklet prepared by Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services explaining the working and procedure of the House Business will also be part of that folder, officials said.

Meanwhile, Parliament Lodges where MNAs and Senators would stay their parliamentary tenure are also being renovated by the staff of Capital Development Authority. “We have bought new furniture and curtains and repaired the faulty water taps showers,” said a member of the CDA Parliament Lodges maintenance staff. “We are ready to welcome the new members and provide the all necessary facilities,” he said.

Talking to Gulf News, former secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Kanwar Dilshad said out of 342 seats of the National Assembly (lower house of the Parliament), 272 are filled by direct election and the rest are reserved for women and minority members.