ISLAMABAD: Before suspending its proceedings once again owing to a lack of quorum, the National Assembly on Mon­day passed seven bills in a session marred by low attendance and absence of ministers.

A resolution against India’s atrocities and unlawful acts in the occupied Kashmir was also put off as proceedings were suspended after quorum was pointed out by an opposition lawmaker.

The seven bills passed by the house included the Pakistan Study Centres (Amendment) Bill 2026, the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill 2026, the Travel Agencies (Amendment) Bill 2026, the Pakistan Tourist Guide (Amendment) Bill 2026, the Pakistan Hotels and Restaurants (Amendment) Bill 2026, the Motion Pictures (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the National College of Arts Institutes (Amendment) Bill 2026.

As the house was passing the bills, interim PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan rose to speak on a point of order. On this, the speaker asked Barrister Gohar to wait for the passage of the bills.

However, MNA Sohail Sultan pointed out the quorum, compelling the speaker to adjourn the house till 11am today.

Earlier, the lawmakers took offence after a parliamentary secretary responded to a question asked by MNA Syeda Amnah Batool about education. The response sparked a debate as to why to-the-point answers were not shared in the house and why replies were given through parliamentary secretaries, instead of the ministers concerned.

Ms Batool asked whether any national plan existed to align university degrees with the market; what was the number of universities in the country imparting these skills, and whether the government intended to make internship or industry placement mandatory in selected degree programmes.

On this, Parliamentary Secretary Rabia Rahim said the government has made a policy under which the HEC will not verify the degree of any student, who has not completed the required internship.

When MNA Shagufta Jumani asked about Neelum-Jhelum power project’s completion time and cost, a parliamentary secretary tried to answer. But the speaker said he would not allow any irrelevant secretary to respond. “It is the job of the minister or the parliamentary secretary concerned to respond to questions,” he added.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, while quoting the rules said parliamentary secretaries enjoyed minister’s status and thus could reply to questions on their behalf. The speaker said if that was the case then ministers have no need to attend NA proceedings.

Law Minister Azam Tarar said it was ideal that answers should be given by ministers, but under the law, parliamentary secretaries were authorised to reply on their behalf.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2026