ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain on Friday expressed his dissatisfaction over the slow pace of legislation in the house and said, “it could be accelerated.”

“The government should have done more than what it has done,” he said when asked about the legislative business during a chat with newsmen at a luncheon that he had hosted in honour of delegates of the International Muslim Women’s Union at Parliament House.

He said he would stick to the rules of business while running the house as he had been suspending the proceedings whenever the lack of quorum was pointed out.

Asked about the prospects of holding of a joint parliamentary session and the president’s address to start the constitutional year of parliament, he said: “I will only reply to such questions only if you meet me formally.” However, he said there were many assemblies in the country’s history where no joint sessions were held.

Asked when he would give his ruling on the disqualification references against the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s MNAs, he said: “I am still in the process of studying the case.” He said clause 36 of the Political Parties Act 2002 was clear about the case.

Replying to a question, he said: “I am clear in my mind that the Legal Framework Order is a part of the constitution.”

He said the talks between the MMA and the government were a part of the political process.

Asked whether the report submitted to the prime minister by him as the head of the 11-member government-opposition committee was considered while seeking a way out of the LFO deadlock, he said: “I am not aware about any such thing.”

He said the names of the chairmen of the house’s standing committees would be announced after Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali’s return from abroad.