• Rationale behind TLP protests questioned
• Quorum hits Senate session

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Friday echoed with a demand that the districts of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) must be brought at par with other developed areas of the country as backwardness of these area provides room for terrorism.

The NA session, presided over by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, also questioned why Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) was staging countrywide protest on Gaza despite the fact that people of entire Palestine were happy on the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas.

MNA Iqbal Afridi during the question hour demanded merged areas of erstwhile Fata must be brought at par with other developed areas, adding that the centre was giving no fund to Fata despite frequent assurances.

On this, parliamentary secretary Armal Subhani said after merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the centre provided funds directly to the provincial government and thus the centre has nothing to do with decisions of the KP government that how and where these funds were used.

MNA Naeema Kishwar said the issue of utilisation of funds in Fata should be referred to a NA committee, saying the centre failed to fulfill its promise of releasing Rs100bn funds every year to Fata.

Parliamentary secretary Subhani agreed that the matter should be referred to the committee.

MNA Shahid Ahmed said merged Fata districts did not get their due share in National Finance Commission award.

MNA Hameed Hussain said people of the areas, where military operations were underway, have been forced to leave their homes. He demanded that the government must take care of the people of these areas.

Speaking on the TLP protest on Gaza, that paralysed the life in various cities due to blockades by the police, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and parliamentary secretary Asia Ishaq questioned that if the people of Palestine were happy in the recent peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, then why TLP was coming to the capital for protest.

The issue of poverty also thoroughly discussed in the house where MNA questioned the government data about poverty and said the government’s recent survey did not match with the data of the World Bank.

MNA Mehtab Rashidi questioned that despite all claims of the government that much has been done to overcome poverty, the on-ground reality spoke otherwise.

Responding to questions during the Question Hour, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry informed the house that the government formally established the Pakistan Crypto Council on PM’s directives to develop a regulatory and operational framework, but the government neither intends to promote nor discourage cryptocurrency.

Salaries before Diwali

Later, MNA Sanjay Perwani on Friday urged the federal and provincial governments to ensure that Hindu government employees receive their salaries before Diwali, which falls on October 20.

Speaking in the House about the upcoming festival, he said that the timely payment of salaries would enable Hindu employees to celebrate their religious occasion with ease and dignity.

Digitalisation of assembly

Earlier, NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced that the digitalisation process has been initiated to establish an e-Parliament, aimed at modernising the legislative system.

Speaking at the start of the National Assembly session, the Speaker said the digitisation work had almost been completed in the Secretariat, while the system would soon be extended to the Parliament Lodges for the facilitation of members.

Senate

The upper house of the parliament was prorogued on Friday without taking up any agenda item due to lack of quorum.

As the proceedings of the house began, PTI leader Humayun Mohmand pointed out quorum. The chair read out the president’s prorogation order after the headcount.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2025