ISLAMABAD: As the National Assembly convenes today, the house is expected to witness a heated debate on flood relief measures, particularly the use of the Benazir Income Support Programme to help survivors, besides a discussion on the law and order situation in Azad Jammu Kashmir.

According to a statement issued on Sunday, President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned the NA session at the Parliament House on Monday (today) at 5 pm. Before the sitting, a meeting of parliamentary leaders summoned by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq will be held at 4pm to finalise the agenda.

Another highlight of the session would be PML-N leader Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry thanking the president for his address to both houses on March 10. The NA meeting comes amid disagreements between the PML-N and PPP on flood relief measures. Parliamentary experts believe that both sides will again exchange barbs regarding the proposed use of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to help flood victims — a move opposed by some in the government.

The issue of current tensions in AJK and a protest scheduled for today (Monday) by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee will also likely be discussed in the house.

Govt to table three bills; speaker calls meeting ahead of session to ‘finalise’ agenda

The government is also likely to take credit for its recent foreign policy achievements.

Three bills to be moved

The government is also expected to table three bills. On the first day, state minister for finance and revenue Bilal Azhar Kayani will move a bill for reforms of the regulatory regime applicable to business, trade and investment by removing complex regulatory requirements and to establish the Pakistan Regulatory Registry and Pakistan Business Portal (Asaan Karobar Bill, 2025).

Senator Ahad Cheema will seek amendments to the Civil Servants Act 1973 through the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2025. Housing minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada will table the Pakistan Infrastructure Deve­lopment and Assets Management Authority Bill 2025 for the establishment of the assets management authority.

In a calling attention notice, MNA Riaz Fatyana will invite the attention of the minister-in-charge of the Cabinet Secretariat to the “poor performance” of the NDMA in Kamalia, Pir Mehal, Tandlianwala and Chichawatni in Toba Tek Singh during the recent floods. Likewise, MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan will invite the attention of the interior minister to the delay in payment to persons whose land was acquired by Islamabad CDA in sectors E-12, C-13, C-14, C-15, C-16 and H-16.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2025