Context
President Asif Ali Zardari addressed a joint session of the parliament on Tuesday. During his speech, the president praised the parliament for passing the eighteenth and nineteenth amendments. He also praised the parliament for expanding the tax net and reducing the size of the cabinet. The president said that the government condemns the killings of Shahbaz Bhatti and Salaman Taseer and vowed to defeat the mindset responsible for such actions. He pledged to uphold the supremacy of the parliament and the constitution and not allow anybody to usurp the powers of the parliament. Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), and Jamiate-e-Ulema Islam-F (JUI-F) boycotted the session. President Zardari stressed upon the institutions of the country to work with in their constitutional jurisdiction. Furthermore, he vowed to continue the fight against extremism with full vigor.
