PESHAWAR: A lack of quorum on Tuesday forced the chair to adjourn the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session till Monday next.

The sitting began with 20 lawmakers out of 145 present in the house, forcing Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan, who was presiding over the proceedings, to adjourn the sitting. Bells were rung three times to bring in members to the House to complete the quorum, but in vain.

This has become a practice of the House during the past few weeks as the sittings are adjourned for lack of quorum. The dilemma is that Leader of the House Mahmood Khan, Opposition Leader Akram Khan Durrani and other senior lawmakers, including parliamentary leaders, always remain absent from the assembly. As a result, other members are also losing interest in the House’s proceedings.

On Tuesday, the House could take only one out of six agenda items. Instead of starting business from the question-hour, the chair asked minister for irrigation Arshad Ayub Khan to move resolution for passage of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Areas Development Authorities (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

However, only 20 MPAs were present when the bill was put for vote. Quorum was pointed out soon after the bill was passed. Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan adjourned the sitting for 10 minutes to complete the House. Only 18 members were present when the assembly secretary carried out the headcount. The chair directed to ring the bells for two more minutes. However, the quorum remained incomplete, forcing the chair to adjourn the sitting without completing the agenda.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2022