ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly again faced quorum problem on Friday, drawing criticism of opposition lawmakers. The treasury benches again failed on Friday, the second consecutive day, to ensure presence of the required number of lawmakers – 86 – to ensure continuity of the house proceedings. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had to cut short the proceedings of house because of the problem.

Throughout this week opposition parties had remained up in arms against the government for its ‘total disregard for the business of the house’. On Thursday, the National Assembly session couldn’t complete its agenda because of the lack of quorum.

And the government was again left red-faced on Friday when it again failed to ensure presence of —86 lawmakers—in the house to legally continue the NA proceedings.

Read: Minister ‘helpless’ to ensure NA attendance

The worst part of the Friday’s proceedings was that it even couldn’t complete its first hour’s proceedings, the time meant for question-answer purpose. Under the rules, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure presence of required number of lawmakers in the house.

Absence of ministers from the front rows of the National Assembly has become a routine matter and those who were present in the house on Friday didn’t help calming frayed nerves of the opposition parties which collectively boycotted the session on Thursday on the same issue -- the government’s apathy towards parliamentary proceedings.

Power Minister Abid Sher Ali was quick to snap back at Dr Nafisa Shah of the PPP, who wasn’t happy with the answer to one of her questions, she had submitted. She had asked the rate of tariff at which Nepra had agreed to buy power from IPPs which will now use the LNG. In the written answer, Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif had said to Dr Shah that for this purpose she should approach Nepra. Dr Shah said snapped back and said “it is ridiculous telling me to approach Nepra and why didn’t the minister concerned could do this.”

Also read: Opposition, PkMAP boycott NA session over ‘disregard for house’

Irritated at Dr Shah’s protest, Mr Sher Ali said the PPP lawmaker should use better language, otherwise, “main in say sakht zaban istamal kar sakta hun”. This was when opposition benches protested and when Dr Shah wasn’t allowed to respond in person, PPP lawmakers staged a walkout, followed by PTI, MQM and JI.

After the walkout, National Assembly Speaker asked Federal Minister Riaz Pirzada to bring Opposition parties back to the house. Meanwhile, Munawar Ali Talpur of the PPP pointed out the quorum problem, which forced the speaker to ask for counting of members present in the house. Due to lack of quorum, proceedings of the house were suspended for 15 minutes. However, when the house commenced, it again lacked the required 86 lawmakers under the law. The speaker then adjourned the proceeding till Monday afternoon.

Earlier this week, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sheikh Aftab had expressed his inability to pursue ministers as well as lawmakers to attend the house. He even had expressed his willingness to resign, as he couldn’t face continued embarrassment at the hands of opposition parties.

Ovreall PML-N’s lack of interest in the sessions of the two houses had been the hallmark of the present government and had continuously attracted criticism from the opposition benches.

When asked, a senior government minister told Dawn that the only way to improve attendance of the ministers and other lawmakers in the house was that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should himself start attending the house.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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