ISLAMABAD: With hailstones and rain pounding its building, the National Assembly talked a lot with both pride and remorse on Thursday before taking two days of rest ahead of its weekend demise.

And its prorogation after a 25-day last session, which marked the first time in Pakistan’s history of a lower house completing its five-year term under a civilian dispensation, left some hot potatoes, like carving a new province out of the present Punjab, for its successor to handle.

Even two key bills on the agenda for several days, seeking to give a controversial one-time amnesty for non-compliers with tax laws, and increasing parliamentary seats for non-Muslim minorities, were left to die after the house decided at the start of the day to make only parting speeches on what was to be its last working day.

The main speeches of the day included one from Khursheed Ahmed Shah, chief whip of the ruling PPP, who spoke proudly of the achievements of the present parliament and the government such as revival of a genuine parliamentary system and grant of greater provincial autonomy through amendments to the Constitution, and another from Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan of the opposition PML-N, who, speaking for his party in the absence of Leader of Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, acknowledged the country’s march on a democratic track but regretted perceived government failures in fields like law and order and energy shortages.

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf did come to the farewell sitting of the house but did not make a speech and instead spent a lot of time in a sort of a walkabout that took him to different rows of desks on both sides of the aisle, to meet lawmakers, sit beside them and -- what they seemed to like most --signing papers they presented to him wrapped in files.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman used the opportunity to speak about his efforts to mediate peace between the government and Taliban and the plight of Kashmiris in the Indian-held part of their state, and, in his capacity as chairman of a parliamentary committee on Kashmir, got a resolution passed unanimously, reassuring them of Pakistan’s continued support to their cause for self-determination and calling upon the international community to compel India to end repression and solve the problem.

The resolution also called for handing over the body of Kashmiri activist Afzal Guru, who was hanged in a New Delhi jail last month for his alleged role in an attack on the Indian parliament, to his family.

The house also passed another resolution, moved later by PPP lawmaker Farzana Raja, head of Benazir Income Support Programme, paying tributes to the assassinated PPP leader for the sacrifice of her life for people’s rights and democracy, and saying that “the whole nation will always remember this sacrifice of hers and, by strengthening democracy, will not let her blood go in vain”.

While citing the achievements of present parliament, Khursheed Shah, who is also Religious Affairs Minister, said a total of 138 bills passed by the outgoing assembly included some historic legislation on issues about which “we could only imagine” previously, such as an increased provincial autonomy, restoration of the 1973 Constitution, transfer of some key powers from the president to parliament and independence of foreign policy as reflected in the recent start of the construction of a gas pipeline from Iran and contracting for China to run the Gwadar port.

“Despite this, there may have been some faults,” said the minister while referring to the law and order situation and the menace of terrorism, which he said, had “smeared Pakistan’s flag”.

While referring to the empowerment of the Election Commission, Mr Shah seemed somewhat sour about the judiciary when he complained that “some institutions made independent by us are speaking instead of writing (decisions)” and said that “decisions based on ego or politics should not be made lest fingers are pointed at them”.

The minister, who credited late Ms Bhutto’s policy of reconciliation for the completion of the present PPP-led coalition government’s term, was also showered with praise by speakers from both sides of the house for his policy of accommodation.

Similarly, Speaker Fehmida Mirza, who will continue in office until a new speaker is elected after the next elections, was the darling of all parties in the house as the first female and one of the most successful custodians of the house and for her role in promoting women’s cause.

Defence Production Minister Sardar Bahadur Sehar, as the main speaker from his Pakistan Muslim League-Q, lamented that a constitution amendment bill for the creation of a Bahawalpur Janoobi Punjab province could not come before the National Assembly -- because of lack of the required two-thirds majority in the 342-seat house -- even after it was passed by the Senate earlier this month.

His party’s Minister for National Harmony, Akram Masih Gill, also voiced his disappointment at the house failure to take up a constitution amendment bill seeking to increase seats for minority communities in the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies for what he described as disinterest shown by the prime minister and the opposition.