Over 70% Agenda Items Left Over in 8th Session

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Highlights

  1. Five Sittings convened with 73.15% agenda items left over
  2. The session lasted 7 hours and 57 minutes over 5 sittings
  3. Two (2) Private Member Bills passed

Highlight of the Session

The 8th Session of the 16th National Assembly saw the passage of two (2) Private Member Bills while one (1) Government and ten (10) Private Member Bills were introduced and referred to relevant Standing Committees. The salient feature of the 8th Session was the passage of The Elections (Second Amendment) Act, 2024, a private member bill aimed as an attempt to push back on the Supreme Court judgement to allot reserved seats to the PTI. The session also saw the passage of two resolutions condemning the continuing Israeli aggression in Gaza and the August 5, 2019 action by India in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir expressing solidarity with oppressed Kashmiri people in their struggle for their right to self-determination.

Working Hours

The 8th Session of the 16th National Assembly was convened on July 30, 2024 and was prorogued on August 9, 2024. Only five (5) sittings were held for 7 hours and 57 minutes. The longest sitting of the session on August 6 lasted for 2 hours and 47 minutes while the shortest sitting on August 5 lasted for only 52 minutes. Schedule of the Sittings is given in Appendix A.

Agenda Items Left Over

73% agenda items were left over during the 8th Session. These included legislations, motions, and calling attention notices. Details of the agenda items left over are given in Appendix B.

Quorum

Quorum was not pointed out during the session.

Attendance

On average, 211 (68%) MNAs were recorded as present in the session

Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, MNA (NA-18 Haripur, KP, Independent) and Leader of the Opposition, attended 3 or 60% out of 5 sittings during the 8th session. Mr Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, MNA (NA-123 Lahore, Punjab, PML-N) and Prime Minister, attended 1 or 20% out of 5 sittings.

Figure 3: Attendance

Top 5 Vocal MNAs

Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza, MNA (NA-104 Faisalabad-X, Punjab, Independent), was the most vocal MNA during the 8th session, with a recorded talk time of 25 minutes and 36 seconds. He was followed by Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, MNA (NA-10 Buner, KP, Independent) who spoke for 23 minutes and 3 seconds. Ms. Shazia Marri, MNA (NA-209 Sanghar-I, Sindh, PPPP) spoke for 23 minutes and 1 second. Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, MNA (NA-194 Larkana-I, Sindh, PPPP) spoke for 21 minutes and 59 seconds. Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, MNA (NA-18 Haripur, KP, Independent) spoke for 19 minutes and 56 seconds.

Figure 4: Top 5 Vocal MNAs

Legislation

Two (2) Private Member Bills were passed. One (1) Government and ten (10) Private Member Bills were also introduced and referred to relevant Standing Committees during the 8th Session of the National Assembly.

Private Member Bills passed during the Session

The National Excellence Institute Bill, 2024 was moved by Mr. Bilal Azhar Kayani, MNA (NA-60 Jhelum-I, Punjab, PML-N) on July 30, 2024 and passed on the same day without being referred to the Standing Committee. The bill aims to establish a National Excellence Institute with academic, financial and administrative autonomy. The institute has been empowered to provide education and scholarship in various branches of knowledge and to confer degrees, diplomas, certificates and other academic distinctions. The bill was already passed by the Senate on March 4, 2024.

The Elections (Second Amendment) Act, 2024 was introduced by Mr. Bilal Azhar Kayani, MNA (NA-60 Jhelum-I, Punjab, PML-N) and Ms. Zeb Jaffar, MNA (Punjab, PML-N) on July 30, 2024 and passed on August 6, 2024 after being referred to the Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs. The bill sought to highlight the provisions of the Elections Act, 2017 to state that no independent candidate should shall be allowed to join a political party after the deadline of doing so as specified in the Constitution and the law.

Government Bills introduced in the Session

Senator Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Federal Minister for Interior introduced the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Act, 2024 on August 6, 2024. The Bill was referred to the Standing Committee on Interior for further review. The bill was introduced on the ECP requirement of issuance of notification regarding number of reserved seats for women for Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (MCI) as well as to amend the ICT Local Government Act, 2015.

It must be noted that the term of the ICT Local Government had expired on February 14, 2021 and since then the Federal Government has used one or another delaying tactic from holding fresh LG elections in this regard.

Figure 5: Legislation

Ordinances

No ordinance was laid during the 8th Session of the National Assembly.

Resolutions

Two (2) Resolutions was adopted during the Session.

Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan (ICT, PML-N), moved a resolution on August 2, 2024 to condemn Israeli oppression and brutality against the Palestinians. The resolution expressed solidarity with Palestinians, called for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and outlined measures Pakistan will take to support Palestine, including medical aid and education. The resolution was unanimously adopted. Prime Minister Mr. Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, MNA (NA-123 Lahore, Punjab, PML-N) along with other MNAs spoke on the matter, urging the UN and the international community to take action against Israeli aggression and support the admission of Palestine as a full UN member.

Mr. Amir Muqam, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions and National Heritage and Culture, MNA (NA-11 Shangla, KP, PML-N) moved a resolution on August 6, 2024, condemning the illegal measures taken by India on August 5, 2019 in occupied Kashmir, particularly referring to the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special autonomous status under the Indian Constitution. The resolution paid tribute to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and called India’s actions as a threat to regional security. This resolution was further discussed by other parliamentarians including Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Defence, MNA, (NA-71 Sialkot-II, Punjab PML-N) and passed by the House with majority.

Analysis

On July 12, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was eligible to retain its reserved seats for women and minorities in the National and Provincial Assemblies.[1] This ruling came after a lengthy legal dispute, and in its majority judgement, the Supreme Court overturned the earlier March 25 decision by the Peshawar High Court to deny reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). The court’s decision was seen as a victory for the PTI, giving it representation in the Assemblies, where its members only exists as part of the SIC or independents. However, the PML-N government viewed the ruling as contrary to the law and began legislative efforts to address loopholes in the electoral framework. The Elections (Second Amendment) Act, 2024 although a private member bill, appeared to be the government’s response to the court’s ruling, aiming to prevent independent candidates from joining a party after the legal stipulated period and imposing strict deadlines on parties for submitting reserved seats’ lists.

Discussion on the bill in the Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs included members expressing that such legislation would weaken the Parliament.[2] Although it was a private member bill, Mr. Ali Muhammad, MNA (NA-23 Mardan-III, KP, SIC) expressed his surprise at the Federal Law Minister for defending the proposed law. The bill was passed by 8-4 majority in the Standing Committee. When it was presented for a vote in the National Assembly on August 6, 2024, PTI-backed members protested by chanting slogans and gathering in front of the Speaker’s dais. [3]

In the first sitting of the 8th session of the National Assembly, Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza, MNA (NA-104 Faisalabad-X, Punjab, Independent) raised a Point of Order to request referring the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Mubarak Sani case relating to bail of blasphemy accused to relevant Standing Committee. Lawmakers belonging to various political parties united in support of the blasphemy law and called on the Chief Justice to review the ruling authored by the Supreme Court. Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar (Punjab, PML-N) termed the issuing of death decrees against judges as unacceptable. The Speaker referred the matter to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice.[4]

On August 5, 2024, the Speaker informed members of the unfortunate news of the death of Mr. Mumtaz Mustafa (NA-171 Rahim Yar Khan-III, Punjab, SIC) during the third sitting of the 8th Session. Normal business was suspended as per parliamentary tradition. While offering condolences, Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, MNA (NA-18 Haripur, KP, Independent), also raised the issue of the production of an MNA allegedly in custody of law enforcement agencies. When the Speaker conveyed that the police had told him the missing MNA was not in their custody, Mr. Omar Ayub Khan claimed that Haji Imtiaz Ahmed, MNA (NA-68 Mandi Bahauddin-I, Punjab, Independent), had been made “a forcefully disappeared person.”[5]

A calling attention notice was also presented in the 4th sitting of the 8th session regarding the public distress for inordinate delay in the issuance of the passports. Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar (Punjab, PML-N) made a brief statement saying that in order to increase the daily capacity for passport printing to above 55000, necessary equipment, including 20 modern printers, was being purchased. “We hope the new system will be installed soon, and the daily capacity for issuing passports will increase from 26,000 to 60,000,” he added. The equipment installation would begin by the end of September. [6]

Time consumed on discussion of Policy Issues during 8th Session

The quality of the time used during the National Assembly session can be gauged by analysing the time consumed on discussing key issues of democratic governance. The time dedicated to discussion on policy issues were only 25 minutes 06 seconds. The maximum time was consumed in discussion The Elections (Second Amendment) Act which lasted 20 minutes and 20 seconds.[7]

References

  1. Nasir Iqbal, “SC gives PTI its groove back,” Dawn online, July 13, 2024, accessed August 16, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1845531 ↑

  2. “Controversial elections act amendment rushed through NA panel,” Dawn online, August 1, 2024, accessed August 16, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1849350 ↑

  3. Irfan Sadozai and Nadir Guramani, “Bill barring independents from joining parties rushed through Parliament amid PTI opposition,” Dawn online, August 6, 2024, accessed August 16, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1850457/bill-barring-independents-from-joining-parties-rushed-through-parliament-amid-pti-opposition. ↑

  4. Zulfiqar Ahmad, “Blasphemy-related case: Lawmakers demand CJP revisit his ruling,” Business Recorder online, July 31, 2024, accessed August 16, 2024. https://www.brecorder.com/news/40315120 ↑

  5. Amir Wasim, “In condolence session, NA speaker says ‘can’t trace’ PTI MNA,” Dawn online, August 6, 2024, accessed August 16, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1850398/in-condolence-session-na-speaker-says-cant-trace-pti-mna. ↑

  6. 3 “Passport printing capacity to be increased by end of September, NA told”, Geo News online, August 6, 2024 accessed August 16, 2024. https://www.geo.tv/latest/557841-passport-printing-capacity-to-be-increased-by-end-of-september-na-told. ↑

  7. 4 It must be noted that PILDAT has classified that a policy issue is such that involves any legislation or a recommendation on devising a policy. ↑