Fact-check: Two ordinances, 76 laws passed during PDM’s tenure

Social media users are claiming that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) promulgated a large number of ordinances, bypassing the parliament during its 16-month tenure.

The claim is false.

Claim

On July 5, a social media user on X, formerly known as Twitter, criticised President Arif Alvi for letting the Pakistan Democratic Movement promulgate a plethora of ordinances.

“PDM is passing ordinances upon ordinances,” the user wrote on the microblogging website, “Come home Alvi, your country is calling you.”

Another X user called the PDM government “a joke”, further asking how “many ordinances have the government passed quietly in the middle of the night?”

Fact

The claims are inaccurate.

The coalition government promulgated only two ordinances during its term from April 2022 to August 2023. While, separately, it passed 76 pieces of legislation. The data was collected from the website of the government-run Printing Corporation of Pakistan.

An ordinance is a law promulgated by the president when the national assembly is not in session.

Below is the list of the laws and ordinances passed by the PDM government while in office: