PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday termed the five-year-long term of the National Assembly during the PTI and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led governments the “worst in Pakistan’s history”.

“The performance of this house has been very disappointing,” he said while speaking to the media at Parliament.

The former prime minister said that “bills passed by the house were not read oftentimes” and the use of verbal abuses was now rife in politics.

“Unfortunately, they have neither understood Parliament nor parliamentary norms, neither have they understood democracy nor democratic norms,” he said, adding that the nation was now “getting rid” of this NA.

Abbasi expressed similar views while speaking on the floor of the assembly today as well, pointing out that around 40 bills pertaining to universities were passed during the last week of the NA. “This is a cause of shame,” he added.

Abbasi further said “there is no opposition today and parliament is incomplete without it”, adding that “we have been seeing since 1985 that parliamentary traditions are on the decline but from 2018-23, this decline was quite rapid and steep.”

He regretted that “every legislation in the house during the past five years was not aimed at facilitating the people but the government”.

Abbasi also lamented the erosion of people’s trust in the Parliament, emphasising that its restoration could only be achieved through concrete and practical measures.

The overall five-year duration of the NA’s term was split between two governments — the PTI and the PDM. The PTI held power for approximately 44 months, and subsequent to the removal of ex-prime minister Imran Khan via a no-confidence motion in April 2022, a ruling coalition led by the PDM remained in power for 16 months.