• Five bills were introduced as the House takes up 11 of the 57 items on the day’s agenda.
• The president of the National Assembly consults members of the Treasury and the opposition about the position of president of the Public Accounts Committee
ISLAMABAD: Members of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday continued their vociferous protest on the floor of the National Assembly demanding a judicial inquiry into the May 9 and November 26 incidents and disrupted the proceedings by pointing out the lack of quorum. .
However, during the brief process, between slogans and desk-banging by opposition members, the assembly witnessed the presentation of five bills, in addition to the response of a parliamentary secretary to a notice calling for the attention “on lack of funds for essential services”, including transportation for special children and utility payments at the directorate general of special education, Islamabad.
NA President Ayaz Sadiq suspended proceedings for 15 minutes after declaring that the house was not in order when PTI’s Dr Nisar Ahmed pointed out the lack of quorum following a walkout by his colleagues.
The house later met after nearly half an hour under the leadership of Vice President Ghulam Mustafa Shah who ordered a recount as per rules.
Interestingly, the Vice President announced that the quorum was complete as 100 members were present in the chamber as against the required presence of 84 members, but instead of carrying out the remaining agenda item, he adjourned the session until Wednesday ( today) at 2 p.m.
Of the 57 agenda items, the house could only take up 11, including the introduction of five bills, all of them introduced by women members of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
The opposition members entered the house carrying colorful and printed posters with slogans like “Free Imran Khan”, “Set judicial commissions on May 9 and November 26” and Goli Kyun Chalayi (why the bullets were fired). Members continued to raise slogans and bang on desks for almost 30 minutes before staging a walkout, leaving MNA Nisar Ahmed behind to signal the lack of quorum.
The president regretted the opposition’s decision to signal the quorum, stating that in a meeting it was agreed that the PTI would not signal the quorum during question time and private day.
Invoice introduction.
PPP legislator Shazia Marri introduced a bill seeking to amend the Zakat and Ushr Ordinance, 1980 as it applies to the Islamabad Capital Territory, the Zakat and Ushr (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Act 2025 seeking accessibility for disabled people to buildings in Islamabad.
MNA Sharmila Farooqui introduced the Islamabad Capital Territory Dowry Restriction Bill, 2025, which seeks to prohibit giving, receiving or demanding dowry. He also introduced the Islamabad Animal Protection Bill, 2025, aimed at ensuring natural rights and protection of animals in the capital city.
PPP’s Sehar Kamran presented the National Commission on Child Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The President referred all the bills to the relevant standing committees as Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar did not oppose them.
President’s meeting with the opposition
Later, the Speaker of the National Assembly, along with members of the Treasury, met with opposition members in the open space of the parliament cafeteria.
Among those attending the meeting were Vice President Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Syed Khurshid Shah and Naveed Qamar of the PPP, Bilal Azhar Kayani, Malik Abrar and Dr Darshan of the PML-N and Aamir Dogar and Sher Ali Arbab of the PTI.
When contacted, PTI’s Asad Qaiser said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the issue of selection of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman. He said the PTI had categorically told the government that the party had nominated Sheikh Waqqas Akram as PAC president and would not withdraw his name.
The PAC has not been functional since the February 2024 general elections, as the PML-N government wanted the PTI to nominate opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan for the post as per past tradition, in accordance with the Charter of Democracy of 2006.
On the other hand, the PTI has insisted on the name of its firebrand MNA from Jhang Sheikh Waqqas Akram for the key post.
Published in Amanecer, January 15, 2025.
