Parliament’s session summoned for State authority enforcement

Apolitical PTI’s enmity against state unacceptable, state-run media quotes governing coalition

In light of Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who has been persistently defying the government, the joint sitting of parliament will now take place on Wednesday (tomorrow) rather than the 10th of next month in order to “take important decisions” to enforce the state’s authority, according to media reports.

The schedule of the joint session of parliament has been changed by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in accordance with the authority granted to him by the Joint Sitting Rules of 1973, a day after a six-hour meeting of the leaders of the 13-party ruling coalition known as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

The gathering will take place on March 22 at 4 p.m. in Islamabad’s Parliament House.

The state-run media said that the governing coalition had requested that parliament “take important decisions” to guarantee the writ of the state was enforced. The office of the speaker of parliament did not provide a rationale for summoning Wednesday’s joint session.

According to meeting attendees quoted by APP, Khan’s PTI was not a political party but rather “more of a gang of militants,” and its “enmity against the state” could not be accepted. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his cabinet.

Imran Khan served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, when a parliamentary vote resulted in his resignation. He has been agitating for a fresh election ever since, staging demonstrations all around the nation.

Khan’s call for a new election has been rebuffed by PM Shehbaz, who says the current election will go place as planned later this year.

As Khan’s supporters assemble for his most recent rally in the eastern city of Lahore, Parliament will convene in Islamabad. The fights between Khan’s followers and the security forces have exacerbated the nation’s dire economic situation and renewed political unrest.

In reaction to the riots, police have detained hundreds of Khan’s followers in raids over the last several days.