FAFEN issues NA attendance report; Sheikh Aftab, Kiran Haider top the list

ISLAMABAD: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) on Sunday issued its report on attendance of members of the National Assembly in 468 sessions over the past 5 years, with MNAs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed and Kiran Haider topping the list.

According to the FAFEN's report, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed and Kiran Haider attended 461 out of 468 sessions of the National Assembly over the past 5 years.

PTI chief Imran Khan and Ali Mohammad Mahar attended the lowest number of assembly sessions. Imran attended 20 sessions, while Mahar participated only in 18 sittings of the assembly.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif visited the National Assembly 44 times over the past 5 years, according to the report. PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, after assuming his office, attended 10 sessions of the assembly.

Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Naveed Qamar also attended a fair number of sessions i.e. 369 and 350 respectively. Aftba Sherpao participated in 326 sittings, while Sahibzada Tariqullah attended 365 sessions of the House.

Farooq Sattar attended 80 sessions of the assembly; Maulana Fazlur Rahman 69, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour 265, and Sheikh Rasheed participated in 280 sessions.

Hamza Shehbaz participated in 26 sessions of the assembly.

Overall, the members' attendance declined by 13 per cent during the past 5 years, the report stated.

The opposition pointed to the quorum of the assembly 145 times, while the assembly session was suspended or adjourned at least a hundred times over incomplete quorum.