ISLAMABAD: In his first joint session, President Dr Arif Alvi will address the parliament on Thursday (tomorrow).
The presidential address will mark the onset of the new parliamentary year. President Dr Arif Alvi will become the 9th president to address the joint parliamentary session. Previously, eight presidents have addressed the parliament for a total of 27 times.
Asif Ali Zardari is the only president who had an opportunity to address the parliament for the maximum number of times which counts to six.
On March 23, 1985, late president Gen. Zia-ul-Haq was the first president to address a joint session of the parliament.
President Dr Arif Alvi took oath as the 13th head of state on September 9. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar administrated the oath to Mr Alvi at a ceremony held at President House.
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) candidate Dr Arif Alvi won the presidential election held on Sep 4 with 352 votes, followed by PML-N backed candidate Maulana Fazlur Rehman who managed to secure 184, while Aitzaz Ahsan of the PPP bagged 124 votes.
After winning the presidential election of the country, Mr Alvi stepped down from his seat in the National Assembly.
A former dentist, Alvi has also been a key confidante of Imran Khan on both party and national issues.
He also served as the PTI’s secretary general for eight years from 2006. He then became an MP in the southern megacity of Karachi in 2013, winning re-election in the July vote.
A father of four and enthusiastic Twitter user, Alvi took a bullet. And wounded during a protest against military dictator Ayub Khan in Lahore in 1969. He still has a bullet embedded in his right arm.
The election of the PTI marks the end of decades of rotating leadership between the ousted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). And the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), punctuated by periods of army rule.