Three hundred and twenty-eight members of the National Assembly took oath at the inaugural session of the new parliament held in Islamabad on Monday, almost precisely a month after the February 18 general election. What was on the surface a generally placid meeting of elected representatives was marked by many strong undercurrents. The most crucial of these is the future of a house that seems headed along a path of open conflict with the presidency. The reaffirmation by the outgoing speaker, Chaudhry Amir Hussain, on a pointed query by a PPP-member, that oath would be taken under the relevant clause in the 1973 Constitution indicated how determined the PPP-PML-N-ANP coalition is to reject extra-constitutional steps taken by President Musharraf with the president's November 3 declaration of emergency rule. This clear-cut strategy was confirmed by the declaration by Mian Nawaz Sharif that the 30-day countdown to the restoration of the judges had begun with the swearing in of parliament. Sharif also met with key legal advisers and a retired judge immediately after the swearing in. He, obviously, is eager to bring back the deposed judges without losing any unnecessary time.

There are also other reasons why the session was important. For the first time in the two decades during which they have largely dominated electoral politics in the period between 1988 and 1996, the PPP and the PML-N sat on the same side of the house. The spirit of bonhomie between their members, once bitter foes, was visible everywhere. The two leaders of the coalition, Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, in another 'first' watched proceedings from the visitor's gallery. Neither is as yet a member of the House. The prime ministerial candidate of the new coalition has too yet to be named -- a tactic that the PPP has indicated is aimed at curbing attempts to divide the party. Much attention will remain focused on this matter over the coming days.

Some matters though seem clearer than before. The indications are that a woman, Dr Fehmida Mirza, will fill the seat of speaker. Her role as Pakistan's first woman speaker is a reflection too of the visibly expanded role of women in assemblies. More women than ever before took oath on Monday as members of the National Assembly. This is of course a good omen -- but it has yet to be seen what tracks will be left behind by this parliament and how it will face up to the considerable challenges that lie ahead.