ISLAMABAD:
Completing its five year term, the 13th National Assembly achieved a
legislative agenda which altered the country’s governance structure by ensuring
provincial autonomy and restoring the 1973 constitution, and promoted women’s empowerment.
The lower house elected
a woman speaker for the first time in Pakistan’s parliamentary history and the
President addressed the joint sessions of the parliament for five consecutive
years. Following the established parliamentary tradition, the Leader of the
Opposition was elected as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.
In 50 regular sessions,
the National Assembly held 521 sittings – 100 in the first, 107 in the second,
108 in the second, 106 in the fourth and 100 in the fifth parliamentary year.
The National Assembly
witnessed a historic change in the rules of procedure to allow standing
committees to scrutinize ministerial budgetary proposals before made part of
the federal budget.
A new Leader of the
House was elected in the fifth parliamentary year after the Supreme Court
disqualified the Prime Minister in the contempt of court case. Similarly in the
fifth parliamentary year 11 MNAs resigned because of holding dual
nationalities. Nine members of the lower house died during the five years,
including Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti who was assassinated
in Islamabad.
Legislation
In the five
parliamentary years, the National Assembly passed 134 bills – 116 government
and 18 private members’ bills. Of them, 81 became acts of the parliament. The
12th National Assembly had passed 51 bills during its five-year term.
Though the National
Assembly passed only five bills in the first parliamentary year, the
legislation picked up pace in the second, third, fourth and fifth parliamentary
years, with the lower house passing 32, 31, 29, and 37 bills respectively. Out
of total passed government bills, 56 sought amendments in the existing laws and
the rest were new bills.
These included the 18th
and 20th constitutional amendment bills, which helped restored the 1973
constitution, ensured provincial autonomy and gave Pakistan a consensus
mechanism for civilian transfer of power democratically, besides the formation
of the full five-member Election Commission of Pakistan.
However the four bills
to tackle terrorism were passed only in the fifth parliamentary year and that
too in the last three sessions. Similarly the National Assembly failed to enact
a new law on accountability despite the government introducing the National
Accountability Act in October 2012.
The 13th National
Assembly stands out for pro-women legislation, passing treasury and private
members’ bills against domestic violence, harassment at workplace and public
places, anti-women practices, and elevating the status of the commission on
women.
Unlike the past
assemblies, the Lower House witnessed the healthy trend of passing the private
members’ bills. Overall 189 private members bills were introduced in the lower
house, with 135 seeking amendments in the existing laws. Of them 18 bills were
passed. PPPP lawmakers introduced the most 62 or 33% of the private
members’ bills, followed by 53 each by PMLN and PML legislators.
Budget
The debate on budget
lasted for 82 sittings during the five parliamentary years – 19 in the first,
14 in the second, 22 in the third, 17 in the fourth and 10 sittings in the
fifth parliamentary year. On average the budget debate lasted 16 sittings
in each parliamentary year.
Resolutions
Out of total 243
resolutions moved in the lower house in the five years, 85 were adopted.
Six resolutions on women rights and five each on minorities’ rights and
blasphemy were adopted. Similarly on a host of issues such as Balochistan,
increase in prices of petroleum products, child rights, killing of polio
workers and journalists, democracy, attack on Malala Yousafzai, terrorism,
human rights, situation in Swat, NATO attack on Salala check post, target
killings, missing persons, killing of Osama bin Laden, creation of new
provinces, employment, and obscenity on cable TV, the lower house adopted
resolutions.
Question Hour
In the five
parliamentary years, 216 legislators asked 16,056 questions on the floor of the
house, on average 3,211 questions every year. The government fully responded to
12,623 questions, with 3,357 queries remaining ignored, 68 received partial
answers, six were withdrawn and two questions lapsed. In other words the
government responded fully to 79% of the total questions submitted.
The main opposition
PMLN asked the most questions, 9,903, which is 62% of the total questions. More
active in their oversight role, 20 PMLN female legislators asked 5,347
questions, on average each of them asking 267 questions.
Overall 55 women legislators
asked 8,138 questions compared to 161 men lawmakers asking 7,918 questions in
the five years. Women parliamentarians elected on reserved seats fulfilled
their oversight role, as they submitted almost 48% of the total
questions.
Calling Attention Notices
During the five
parliamentary years, legislators brought to the House’s notice issues of urgent
public importance – 109 in the first, 108 in the second, 120 in the third, 122
in the fourth and 84 in the fifth year. Out of the 543 notices, the House took
up 440 for discussion during the five parliamentary years.
Members’ Participation
In five parliamentary
years, 23 legislators, among them five women and 18 men, did not take part in
any parliamentary business. Of them, eight each belonged to PPPP and PML, two
each to PMLN and ANP and one each to PMLF and NPP along one Independent.
Points of Order
A total of 311
lawmakers spoke on scores of constituency, national and international issues
through 5,099 points of order in the five parliamentary years.
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