55. Voting in Assembly and quorum. (1) Subject to the Constitution, all decisions of the National
Assembly shall be taken by majority of the members present and voting, but the person presiding shall not vote
except in the case of equality of votes.
(2) If at any time during a sitting of the National Assembly the attention of the person presiding is drawn to
the fact that less than onefourth of the total membership of the Assembly is present, he shall either adjourn the
Assembly or suspend the meeting until at least onefourth of such membership is present.
56. Address by President. 1[(1)] The President may address either House or both Houses assembled
together and may for that purpose require the attendance of the members.
1[(2) The President may send messages to either House, whether with respect to a Bill then pending in the
MajliseShoora (Parliament) or otherwise, and a House to which any message is so sent shall with all
convenient despatch consider any matter required by the message to be taken into consideration.
2[(3) At the commencement of the first session after each general election to the National Assembly and at
the commencement of the first session of each year the President shall address both Houses assembled together
and inform the MajliseShoora (Parliament) of the causes of its summons.]
(4) Provision shall be made in the rules for regulating the procedure of a House and the conduct of its
business for the allotment of time for discussion of the matters referred to in the address of the President.]
57. Right to speak in 3[MajliseShoora (Parliament)]. The Prime Minister, a Federal Minister, a
Minister of State and the AttorneyGeneral shall have the right to speak and otherwise take part in the
proceedings of either House, or a joint sitting or any committee thereof, of which he may be named a member,
but shall not by virtue of this Article be entitled to vote.
4[58. Dissolution of the National Assembly.(1) The President shall dissolve the National Assembly if so
advised by the Prime Minister; and the National Assembly shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved at
the expiration of fortyeight hours after the Prime Minister has so advised.
Explanation.– Reference in this Article to "Prime Minister" shall not be construed to include reference to a
Prime Minister against whom a notice of a resolution for a vote of noconfidence has been given in the National
Assembly but has not been voted upon or against whom such a resolution has been passed or who is continuing
in office after his resignation or after the dissolution of the National Assembly.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in clause (2) of Article 48, the President may also dissolve the
National Assembly in his discretion where, a vote of noconfidence having been passed against the Prime
Minister, no other member of the National Assembly commands the confidence of the majority of the members
of the National Assembly in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, as ascertained in a session of
the National Assembly summoned for the purpose.]
1 Renumbered and added by P. O. No. 14 of 1985, Art. 2 and Sch.,
2 Subs. by the Constitution (Eighth Amdt.) Act, 1985, (18 of 1985), s. 4, for "clause (3)."
3 Subs. by the Revival of the Constitution of 1973 Order, 1985 (P.O. No. 14 of 1985), Art. 2 and Sch., for "Parliament".
4 Subs. by the Constitution (Eighteenth Amdt.) Act, 2010 (10 of 2010), s. 17, for "Article 58".
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