Parliament this month: Low attendance, fewer debates

 

It has been a disruptive month.

Between the arrest of opposition leader, Khursheed Shah, and the prime minister departing for a week-long trip to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, lawmakers in the national assembly have remained uninterested and unmotivated.

This month’s first parliamentary session was held on September 13. On the day, while the lower house adopted an amendment to the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business to elect more than one standing committee for a ministry, observed the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its daily report, only 18 per cent of the lawmakers were present at the onset of the session, and 23 per cent at its conclusion. The session itself lasted only two hours. The leader of the house and the opposition were missing too.

The next session on September 16 witnessed an even lower attendance, of 12 per cent in a house of 342 members. At the end of the session, the percentage grew to 18 per cent.

September 17 fared no better. According to FAFEN, the house left 77 per cent of its agenda unaddressed. As many as 12 per cent were present at the outset and 14 per cent of the parliamentarians at the adjournment of the session.

Finally, on September 19, the national assembly had to forgo its entire agenda due to the opposition’s protest after the arrest of PPP lawmaker, Khursheed Shah. Even though tempers were running high, the house was only 31 per cent full.

There was some improvement in the latest held session, on September 25, where the assembly addressed 32 per cent of its previously abandoned business.