The National Assembly shows undue haste in passage of government’s unsavoury legislative agenda

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 Highlights

  1. Thirteen (13) Sittings convened over 21 hours and 36 minutes
  2. Thirteen (13) Government Bills passed with key laws changing complexion of higher judiciary and extension in the terms of services chiefs
  3. Over 50% agenda items left over during the session

Highlight of the Session

The 10th Session of the 16th National Assembly saw the passage of the controversial 26th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan. Twelve (12) other Government Bills were also passed during the session including the law to restructure the judiciary by increasing the number of judges in supreme and higher courts as well as amendments that extended the service terms of three Services Chiefs. Six (6) of these crucial bills were expedited bypassing parliamentary procedures within less than 30 minutes sparking debates over transparency and legislative rigour.

Working Hours

The 10th Session of the 16th National Assembly was convened on October 17, 2024 and was prorogued on November 05, 2024. During a period of nearly three weeks, thirteen (13) sittings were held for a total of 21 hours and 36 minutes. The longest sitting of the session was held on October 21, 2024 which lasted for 5 hours and 10 minutes while the shortest sitting on October 19, 2024 lasted for only 10 minutes. Schedule of the sittings is given in Appendix A.

Figure 1: Working Hours

Agenda Items Left Over

50.93% agenda items were left over during the 10th Session. These included proposed legislations, motions, and calling attention notices. Details of the agenda items left over are given in Appendix B.

Quorum

Quorum was pointed out once during the session on October 28, 2024 and after count, the House was found in order.

Attendance

On average, 186 (59%) MNAs were recorded as present in the session. Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, MNA (NA-18 Haripur, KP, Independent), Leader of the Opposition, attended 10 or 77% out of 13 sittings during the 10th session. Mr. Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, MNA (NA-123 Lahore, Punjab, PML-N), Prime Minister of Pakistan, attended only 3 or 25% out of 13 sittings during the session.

Figure 3: Attendance

Top 5 Vocal MNAs

Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, Leader of the Opposition, MNA (NA-18 Haripur, KP, Independent), was the most vocal MNA during the session with recorded talk time of 1 hour and 44 minutes. He was followed by Mr. Attaullah Tarar, MNA (NA-127 Lahore-XI, Punjab, PML-N), Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting, National Heritage & Culture, who spoke for 1 hour and 02 minutes. Khawaja Muhammad Asif, MNA (NA-71 Sialkot-II, Punjab, PML-N), Federal Minister for Defence and Aviation, spoke for 47 minutes. Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, MNA (NA-194 Larkana-I, Sindh, PPPP) spoke for 45 minutes and Raja Pervez Ashraf, MNA (NA- 52 Rawalpindi -I, Punjab, PPPP) spoke for 37 minutes.

Figure 4: Top 5 Vocal MNAs

Legislation

Thirteen (13) Government Bills were passed whereas no Private Member Bill was passed during this session. A total of thirteen (13) bills were referred to relevant Standing Committees.

Government Bills passed during the Session

Thirteen (13) Government Member Bills were passed during the 10th Session including the controversial 26th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan.

On October 20, 2024 Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights introduced the Constitution (twenty-sixth Amendment) Bill, 2024 after it was passed by the Senate. The 26th Amendment, has amended, substituted, or added 25 articles and one schedule of the Constitution out of which only nine (9) articles dealt with subjects other than the judiciary. The key part of the amendment included change in the appointment of the Chief Justice Supreme Court (CJP) through a 12-member parliamentary committee instead of the earlier process of automatic appointment of the senior-most judge as the CJP. This has meant massive increase in the influence of the Parliament and the executive in key aspects of the judiciary. The amendment also fixed the term of the CJP to three-years, or the retirement age of 65, whichever occurs first. The second most important change in top judiciary included splitting of the judiciary in two through the introduction of constitutional benches to be constituted by the Judicial Commission and in the high courts through approval of the respective Provincial Assemblies. Here also, influence of the legislature was increased through reconstitution of the 13-member Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) after merging the erstwhile parliamentary committee in it. The job of the JCP, according to the amendment now included an annual performance evaluation of high court judges by the Judicial Commission; provision for a secretariat headed by a secretary for the commission; and lowering the minimum age to qualify for becoming a high court judge from 45 to 40 years.[1]

Much like the Senate, the National Assembly also saw a hurried passage of the amendment. Late at night whereas the clock struck midnight, a clause-by-clause consideration in the next sitting on October 21, 2024 (although there was just 5 minutes gap between the two sittings) the amendment was passed with 225 members of the National Assembly in favour and 12 members against the passage. The amendment was passed within 5 hours by the National Assembly. The Constitution (26th Amendment) Act, 2024 received presidential assent on October 21, 2024.

Earlier, a special 18-member parliamentary committee was formed in September for smooth functioning of the Parliament under Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, MNA (NA-201 Sukkur-II, Sindh, PPPP). This committee held four sessions towards building a consensus on the proposed package of amendments. It was a significant development that the PTI also participated in the meetings of the Committee but did not share its recommendations about what should or should not be included in the then-proposed 26th Constitutional Amendment.

On November 4, the government again surprised the National Assembly by hurried passage of six (6) laws through supplementary orders of the day and without referring any of these to the relevant Standing Committees. All six of these bills were passed by the National Assembly within less than 30 minutes. All these six bills were passed by the National Assembly and the Senate on November 04 and also received the Presidential assent the same day.

The first three bills were was moved by Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights. The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) (Amendment) Act, 2024 was passed to align the law with the 26th Constitutional Amendment while the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) (Amendment) Act, 2024 and the Islamabad High Court (Amendment) Act, 2024 raised the number of Supreme Court judges from existing 16 to 33 and the number of Islamabad High Court judges from existing 9 to 12 respectively. [2]

The next three bills were introduced by Khawaja Muhammad Asif, MNA, (NA-71 Sialkot-II, Punjab, PML-N), Federal Minister for Defence and Aviation. The Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2024, the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Act, 2024 and the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Act, 2024 each extend the tenure of the Services Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force respectively from existing three (3) years to five (5) years. The amended acts also underscored that the services chiefs would not be bound by the existing retirement age of 64 years applicable to generals, admirals and air chief marshals in the three defence forces. The amended Acts, however, did not apply this provision to Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSE) whose tenure remains three (3) years.[3]

It must be noted that earlier in January 2020, the Parliament under Prime Minister Imran Khan, had, by unanimous approval of key political parties, amended these three acts to authorise Prime Minister to re-appoint or extend the tenures of services chiefs and CJCSE for an additional term of up to 3 years and had fixed 64 years as the upper age limit for a four-star re-appointment and extension though the usual retirement age for officers was kept at 60 years.[4] The amended acts in November 2024 have further changed the extension period from earlier three (3) to five (5) years ensuring that services chiefs, after serving a term of 5 years, are now eligible for another extension of 5 years thereby increasing the total eligible serving term of 10 years now.

The remaining six (6) bills passed by the National Assembly were introduced and passed during different sittings of the session. These included the following:

The Deposit Protection Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was introduced in the National Assembly on October 18, 2024 by Mr. Ali Pervaiz, MNA (NA-119 Lahore-III, Punjab, PML-N), Minister of State for Finance and Revenue, on behalf of Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, after being passed by the Senate on October 17, 2024. The bill aims to amend the existing framework governing deposit insurance. It aims to enhances protections for depositors, strengthens financial stability, and improves regulatory mechanisms to ensure depositor confidence in the banking system. After clause-by-clause consideration the bill was passed on the same day without being referred to the Standing Committee, although Mr. Omar Ayub, MNA (NA-18 Haripur, KP, Independent), Leader of the Opposition, argued that the bill should have been referred to the committee. The bill received presidential assent on October 28, 2024.

The Establishment of Special Court (Overseas Pakistanis Property) Bill, 2024 was also introduced on October 18, 2024 by Chaudry Salik Hussain, MNA (NA-64 Gujrat-III, Punjab, PML), Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, after being passed from the Senate on October 17, 2024. It seeks to create special courts dedicated to resolving property disputes involving overseas Pakistanis and intended to expedite legal processes, protect the property rights of overseas citizens, and address issues they face in safeguarding overseas citizen’s assets in Pakistan. After clause-by-clause consideration, the bill was passed on the same day without being referred to the Standing Committee. The bill received presidential assent on October 28, 2024.

The Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was introduced in the National Assembly on October 21, 2024 after being passed by the Senate on October 20, 2024. It was moved by Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs & Human Rights on behalf of Senator Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Federal Minister for Interior & Narcotics Control. It was passed on the same day without being referred to the Standing Committee. It mandates that religious seminaries, or Deeni Madaris, in Pakistan must be registered with the government to improve oversight and accountability of these institutions ensuring they operate within a regulated framework and adhere to national educational standards.

The Seed (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was introduced in the National Assembly on April 29, 2024 and was referred to the Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research. Chairman of the Standing Committee, Syed Hussain Tariq, MNA (NA-218 Hyderabad-I, Sindh, PPPP) presented its report on October 22, 2024 after which the bill was passed on the same day. It aims to enhance seed quality and regulate its distribution in Pakistan by establishing a National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority. This bill was passed by the Senate on October 29, 2024 and received presidential assent on November 7, 2024.

The Banking Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was introduced in the House on October 22, 2o24, after being passed by the Senate on October 19, 2024. The bill was taken into consideration at once without being referred to the Standing Committee and passed on the same day. It was moved by Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, MNA (NA-248 Karachi Central-II, Sindh, MQM), Federal Minister for Science, Technology, Education and Professional Training, on behalf of Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue. This bill aims to strengthen the country’s banking framework, particularly to promote Islamic banking and enhance financial inclusion. This bill received presidential assent on October 30, 2024.

The Legal Aid and Justice Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was introduced in the House on March 15, 2024 and referred to Standing Committee on Law and Justice. Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk, MNA (NA-77 Gujranwala-I, Punjab, PML-N), Chairman of the Standing Committee, presented its report on October 18, 2024 and the bill was passed on October 23, 2024 through motion moved by Mr. Ali Pervaiz, MNA (NA-119 Lahore-III, Punjab, PML-N), Minister for State Finance and Revenue on behalf of Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar Federal Minister for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs & Human Rights. This bill transfers the Legal Aid and Justice Authority’s administrative oversight from the Ministry of Human Rights to the Ministry of Law and Justice that aims to enhance the authority’s effectiveness in providing legal support by aligning it with institutions within the legal framework

Private Member Bills passed during the Session

No Private Member Bills were passed in the 10th Session.

Ordinances

One (1) ordinance was laid during the 10th Session of the National Assembly by Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights. The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024 (Ordinance No. VIII of 2024) has amended the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023 (Act XVII of 2023) primarily replacing the second most senior judge of the Supreme Court with ‘a judge of the Supreme Court nominated by the CJP, from time to time’ as the third member of the Committee empowered to constitute benches. In addition, the Ordinance provides that the bench hearing a matter under Article 184(3) of the Constitution shall ‘decide and identify through a reasoned and speaking order the question of public importance involved in the matter and the fundamental right which is sought to be enforced.’ The ordinance also stipulates that the cases filed first shall be heard first and that the hearing of every case shall be recorded and transcript thereof duly prepared and made available to the public.

On September 19, 2024, the ordinance was promulgated. The ordinance, when laid before the National Assembly (and the Senate), led to the passage of Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2024 (Act XXXI of 2024) and received the assent of the President on November o4, 2024. Through this amendment Act, the original ‘Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023 (Act XVII of 2023) was further modified with the following key amendments:

  1. The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2024 (Act XXXI of 2024), though received assent of the President on November 04, 2024, was made retrospectively effective from the date of commencement of the Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2024 (Act XXVI of 2024), i.e., October 21, 2024 when the President gave assent to the 26th Amendment Act.
  2. The composition of the committee to formulate benches was again changed to consist of the CJP, the most senior judge of the Supreme Court and the most senior judge of the Constitutional Benches. This new composition excluded the second most senior judge of the Supreme Court from the Committee. It further stipulated that if a committee member declines to sit on the Committee, the CJP may nominate any other Judge of the Supreme Court or a member of the Constitutional Benches as a member of the Committee.
  3. The CJP was expressly made the Convenor of the Committee responsible for formulating benches. In the original Act, either the CJP or other two members of the Committee could convene the Committee meeting.
  4. The appeals filed against orders passed under Article 184(3) prior to the commencement of the Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2024 were transferred to a Constitutional Bench.

Resolutions

Seven (7) Resolutions was adopted during the Session.

The first resolution was passed by majority on October 17, 2024. It was moved by Mr. Attaullah Tarar, MNA (NA-127 Lahore-XI, Punjab, PML-N), Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture. The resolution celebrated Pakistan’s successful hosting of 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and acknowledges the contributions of Pakistan in fostering diplomatic relations with SCO members.

The second resolution passed with majority on October 22 was moved by Syed Ali Qasim Gillani, MNA (NA-148 Multan-I, Punjab, PPPP) advocating for government-led media literacy programmes in educational institutions to combat the spread of fake news on social and electronic media nationwide.

The third resolution passed with majority was presented by Rai Hassan Nawaz Khan, MNA (NA – 143 Sahiwal- III, SIC) on October 22 and called for the government to establish Software Technology Parks nationwide to encourage IT entrepreneurship and business opportunities for young people.

Another resolution passed with majority on October 22 was moved by Ms. Aliya Kamran, MNA (Reserved Seats for Women, JUI-P). It urged the government to prioritize inclusivity and diversity in all initiatives, emphasizing empowerment for people with disabilities and support for marginalized communities.

Another resolution passed with majority on October 22 was moved by Ms. Sehar Kamran, MNA (Reserved Seats for Women, PPPP) condemning the ongoing Israeli attacks resulting in the deaths of innocent women and children in Gaza, as well as recent lethal strikes in Lebanon.

Another resolution passed with majority on October 22 was moved by Ms. Sharmila Sahiba Faruqui, MNA (Reserved Seats for Women, PPPP) to draw government attention to take prompt action to address over-billing by distribution companies (DISCOs) nationwide. All these resolutions were adopted with majority.

The House saw the unanimous passage of another resolution on October 25 which was presented by Mr. Amir Muqam, MNA (NA-11, Shangla, KP, PML-N), Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan. The resolution marked the 77th anniversary of the entry of Indian forces into Srinagar on October 27, 1947 and reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering political and moral support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. It condemned India’s ongoing occupation of Jammu and Kashmir denouncing efforts to alter the region’s demographic and political landscape.

Analysis [7]

As explained earlier, the 10th session of the National Assembly of Pakistan saw significant legislative activity including the passage of controversial 26th Amendment to the Constitution and laws increasing number of judges in higher judiciary. The Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force laws were also amended hurriedly to introduce an unwarranted and surprise increase in the existing three (3) year terms of three Services Chiefs to now five (5) years and extending their extension periods also from existing three (3) to five (5) years thereby creating legal space to retain existing services chiefs of the Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force for up to 10 years.

Ahead of the introduction and passage of the 26th Amendment, on October 17 2024, Syed Naveed Qamar, MNA (NA-221 Tando Muhammad Khan, Sindh, PPPP), initiated a formal debate on the need for constitutional reforms while Opposition Leader Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, MNA (NA-18 Haripur, KP, Independent) accused the government of harassing PTI-backed members and involving them in false cases in order to gain support for the passage of the amendment. Opposition members also criticized the purported harassment of their politicians asserting that their members were receiving offers of up to Rs. 3 billion in exchange for supporting a contentious amendment bill that the government had submitted with the goal of drastically altering the nation’s legal system.[8] Opposition MNAs also recounted instances in which they and their families were intimidated by police and intelligence personnel. These MNAs included Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi, MNA (NA-150 Multan-III, Punjab, SIC), Mr. Shafqat Abbas, MNA (NA-84, Sargodha-III, Punjab, SIC) and Mr. Usama Ahmed Mela, MNA (NA-83 Sargodha-II, Punjab, SIC). Mr. Asad Qaiser, MNA (NA-19 Swabi-I, KP, SIC) urged the government to free the seven PTI members who had been allegedly abducted and to stop the ongoing crackdown against opposition members. He claimed that at a time when things were bad in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the government was attempting to implement the amendment at “gunpoint.” [9]

Responding to the allegation, Federal Minister Mr. Attaullah Tarar asserted that the PTI/SIC had “kidnapped its members itself” and that they were being detained in KP. While claiming that “no political party is bigger than Pakistan,” he also charged the party with fabricating a “false narrative.” The minister also urged the party not to view the government’s decency as a weakness. Other MNAs including Syed Ali Musa Gilani and Syed Rafiullah, MNA (NA-230 Malir-II, Sindh, PPPP) asked for inquiries into claims that opposition lawmakers were being victimized and that offers were made to them in order to win their support for the proposed amendment bill.

Discussion on the possible introduction of controversial 26th Amendment also continued on October 18 where both government and opposition MNAs made strong arguments for and against the amendment though in the presence of a relatively small numbers of MNAs. Raja Pervez Ashraf, MNA said that the revisions in the Constitution would support judicial reforms and that these would not be “person-specific.” He also praised Chairman PPPP, Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, MNA for his efforts to continue the legacy of the leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party.[10] Mr. Ali Muhammad Khan, MNA (NA-23 Mardan-III, KP, SIC) and Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar, MNA (NA-149 Multan-II, Punjab, SIC) criticized the government and stated that the special parliamentary committee did not unanimously pass the approved draft constitutional amendment. Both of them stated that their members were abducted solely to exert pressure on them to support the constitutional package. MNA Moulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri (NA-261 Surab-cum-Kalat-cum-Mastung, Balochistan, JUI-P) sent a strong statement when he asked how could kidnapping and dialogue be possible at the same time? [11]

Finally the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill was introduced in the National Assembly during a session that began around midnight on Sunday, October 20, 2024 and lasted until the pre-dawn hours of Monday, October 21 2024. The sitting was adjourned at 5:15 AM. During the final discussions before the passage of the amendment, several prominent leaders addressed the National Assembly expressing both support and criticism. In a speech that lasted over fifty minutes, PPPP Chairman Mr. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, MNA thanked JUIP Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, MNA (NA-265 Pishin, Balochistan, JUI-F) for playing a vital role in the passage of amendment. He said that Maulana was most helpful in uniting disparate political groups and in reaching “maximum consensus” to guarantee the essential constitutional modifications were approved. He also praised the leadership of the PML-N, particularly Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, MNA (NA-139 Lahore- XIV, Punjab, PML-N) and his allies for enabling the passage of revised amendments. He also acknowledged the role of the PTI in opposing the amendment saying that it was their constitutional right to do so. “Though the PTI didn’t vote for the bill, the party agreed to the bill and it was also a political success of the PTI,” he said. [12]

Leader of the Opposition Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, MNA criticized the amendment and pointed out that it did not represent the opinion of the Pakistani people. He said that Mr. Bhutto’s note of gratitude should have also included those MNAs who had “gone missing.” He described the “torture and harassment” inflicted on opposition MNAs and termed those as “strategies to exert pressure on us.” “Abuse of Imran Khan in prison,” he said, was another example. Questioning the hurried passage of amendment he questioned that “what would have happened had it been passed on October 31?” He maintained that the amendment was an effort to weaken the judiciary’s independence.[13]

Federal Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, MNA said that the amendment gave the Parliament more authority and was consistent with the Charter of Democracy. It also received support from other parties like the PTI and the PKMAP. He commended Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa for “restoring the respect of the judiciary” and claimed that the nation earlier had a history of “spineless chief justices.”[14]

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, MNA praised the PTI and all other parties for their efforts for the successful passage of the amendment and said that at first all parties had agreed on 65 provisions “but we decided on 22 clauses after much consultation.” He added that he had worked to “ensure that there is no division between opposition parties, or between the government and the opposition.” In reference to the PTI’s complaints about treatment of Mr. Imran Khan in prison he added that “news about Khan is unacceptable.” [15]

Other comments on the passage of 26th Constitutional Amendment came from Dr. Muhammad Farooq Sattar, MNA (NA-244 Karachi West-I, Sindh, MQM) who said that “even though some of the fundamental principles and the 26th Constitutional Amendment render the MQM, its members, and voters vulnerable, we still prioritise the broader interests of the country.” Sattar added. Mr. Gohar Ali Khan MNA (NA-10 Buner, KP, Independent) criticized the constitutional reforms, stating that the government wants a “court which is not free, not a constitutional court” and that their passage was a “black day for the judiciary and the courts.”

Prime Minister termed the passage of the amendment as a “great day” in the country’s history and added that it completed the Charter of Democracy’s unfinished agenda. The Parliament has shown its power and solidarity, and the days of ousting elected prime ministers had ended, he added. He also hailed Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman for his services in furthering Pakistan’s interests and praised Mr. Bhutto-Zardari for his earnest efforts in bringing the amendment to completion.[16]

In the following sittings after the passage of Constitutional Amendments, a number of MNAs from opposition and the government reacted through Points of Order. Leader of the Opposition demanded an investigation into the alleged presence of certain unidentified individuals in the Parliament Building and urged the Speaker to use CCTV footage to confirm their identity. Mr. Speaker assured to inquire into the matter.

A media blackout of some of speeches on the 26th Amendment was also witnessed including the speech of Mr. Mehmood Khan Achakzai MNA.

Mr. Asad Qaiser, MNA on October 28, 2024, accused the government of using “brutal force” to gain support for the amendment. As the opposition benches chanted “shame, shame, “Mr. Qaiser continued to name turncoats while displaying election posters of each dissident MNA backed by the PTI and claimed that Prime Minister had “purchased” these votes. In response, Mr. Abdul Qadir Patel, MNA (NA-243 Karachi Keamari-II, Sindh, PPPP said that before criticizing the government, Mr. Qaiser should acknowledge the errors of the previous PTI administration which had persecuted opposition MPs during the PTI tenure.[17]

MNAs also raised various issues through multiple Point of Orders. Syed Rafiullah, MNA (NA-230 Malir-II, Sindh, PPPP), brought the Speaker’s attention to the SIC members’ participation in Committee system for strengthening parliamentary democracy and requested that the Standing Committee on Interior be consulted over the lawlessness issue in Kurram, KP. Mr. Muhammad Iqbal Khan (NA-27 Khyber, KP, SIC) drew the House’s attention towards the operation happening in Tirah Orakzai District, KP.

The government introduced and hurriedly passed six (6) laws concerning judiciary and increase in tenure of services chiefs on November 04 despite loud protests from the opposition MNAs who also chanted slogans and thumped desks and tore copies of these bills.[18] On following day, Leader of the Opposition, said that these bills should have been discussed in the Standing Committee and labelled the government as “thieves.” He described the manner in which the six laws were passed as a “shameful incident” though his statement was ordered to be expunged from Assembly record by Deputy Speaker.[19] Following Mr. Ayub’s comments, the broadcast from the assembly’s YouTube channel was blacked out. Mr. Ayub criticized the term extensions of services chiefs and said that through this the careers of many officers would come to an end. As he continued, his microphone was turned off. When the deputy speaker again gave the order to turn on the microphone, the livestream was once more interrupted before he could finish speaking.

One of the PTI-backed MNAs who supported the 26th Amendment, Mr. Aurangzeb Khichi (NA-159 Vehari-IV, Punjab, Independent), later took the stage to speak as live stream was resumed. His speech was interrupted as opposition chanted “lota” though Mr. Khichi claimed he did not “get a single rupee as bribe to vote for the amendment.” [20]

Time consumed on discussion of Policy Issues during 10th 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 was 10 hours and 15 minutes. [21]

References

  1. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, “Unpacking the amendment,” Dawn online, October 27, 2024, accessed November 7, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1867912/unpacking-the-amendment. ↑

  2. “Govt rushes bills in NA, Senate on strength of Supreme Court judges, 5-year term of armed forces’ chiefs,” Dawn online, November 4, 2024, accessed November 7, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1869847/govt-rushes-bills-in-na-senate-on-strength-of-supreme-court-judges-5-year-term-of-armed-forces-chiefs. ↑

  3. Ibid. ↑

  4. Javed Hussain, Fahad Chaudhry, Nadir Guramani, “After NA approval, services chiefs’ bills get Senate committee’s nod,” Dawn online, January 07, 2020, accessed November 7, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1526807. ↑

  5. It must be noted that all the bills mentioned were referred to relevant Standing Committees after introduction. ↑

  6. It must be noted that all the bills mentioned were referred to relevant Standing Committees after introduction. ↑

  7. It must be noted that to inform our analysis, PILDAT’s researchers have analysed live proceedings of the National Assembly and various documents including, but not limited to, the National Assembly’s Daily Journals, Committee Reports and NA Debates. ↑

  8. Amir Wasim and Iftikhar A. Khan “Opposition outraged by ‘arm-twisting’ over constitutional tweaks,” Dawn online, October 18, 2024, accessed October 20, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1865893 ↑

  9. Ibid. ↑

  10. “PTI agrees on reforms package with some changes: Raja Pervaiz,” The Nation online, October 19, 2024, accessed October 21, 2024. https://www.nation.com.pk/19-Oct-2024/pti-agrees-on-reforms-package-with-some-changes-raja-pervaiz ↑

  11. Ibid. ↑

  12. Saleem Jadoon “At last! ‘Much-touted’ 26th constitutional amendment bulldozed through Parliament with a two-third majority” Pakistan Today online, October 21, 2024 accessed October 24, 2024. https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2024/10/21/na-session-continues-past-midnight-as-govt-bulldozes-much-touted-26th-constitutional-amendment-through-parliament/ ↑

  13. Ibid. ↑

  14. Syed Irfan Raza and Iftikhar A. Khan “Parliament burns midnight oil to clear 26th Constitutional Amendment,” Dawn online, October 21, 2024, accessed October 25, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1866552. ↑

  15. “Marathon session ends with NA passing 26th Amendment Bill during predawn hours,” Geo News online, October 20, 2024, accessed October 25, 2024. https://www.geo.tv/latest/569960-govt-optimistic-for-passage-of-26th-constitutional-amendment-as-cabinet-approves-draft. ↑

  16. “PM Shehbaz hails passage of 26th amendment as ‘national consensus’ victory,” The Express Tribune online, October 21, 2024, accessed October 26, 2024. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2504271/pm-shehbaz-hails-passage-of-26th-amendment-as-national-consensus-victory. ↑

  17. Amir Wasim “‘Undemocratic tactics’ for legislation flayed in NA,” Dawn online, October 29, 2024, accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1868341. ↑

  18. Amir Wasim, “Govt steamrolls six key bills through parliament,” Dawn online, November 05, 2024, accessed November 08, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1869958. ↑

  19. “Omar Ayub criticises govt for ‘use of force’ to pass six bills in National Assembly,” Dunya News online, November 05, 2024 accessed November 08, 2024. https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/848593-omar-ayub-criticises-govt-for-use-of-force-to-pass-six-bills-in-nati. ↑

  20. Ibid. ↑

  21. 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. ↑