IF there is one trait that seems common to almost all Pakistani lawmakers regardless of their political affiliation, it is a barely concealed disdain for parliament and legislative procedure.

Where once they derided the PTI government for running an ‘ordinance factory’ instead of executing its legislative business through parliament, the ruling parties have done little better since assuming power, having finally reduced the National Assembly to a rubber stamp for their legislative agenda.

On Thursday, the first day of the 15th National Assembly’s farewell session, the House allowed critical legislation without the required number of lawmakers present for proceedings, with Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf binning House procedures to allow the draft of two laws to be drastically amended, and then having the amendments passed by a voice vote before they were even tabled.

According to reports, he gave Aviation Minister Saad Rafique the floor to introduce extensive amendments, including 100 new clauses, in the Pakistan Airports Authority Bill, 2022, and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Bill, 2022, with less than two dozen members present. Both bills had been moved a year ago and were approved by the relevant committee in their original form.

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The privilege to amend or introduce rules and laws is not a prerogative that can be exercised without checks and balances. What was so important about the amendments that they could not be put to debate and discussion before the elected representatives of the people, as is required?

Had the government been sleeping for the last few months that it finally realised it had necessary business to conduct at the eleventh hour? And what does it say about our lawmakers that less than two dozen deigned to attend the session — which, as is now usual, started hours later than its scheduled time — despite there being much legislative work still pending before the NA?

It is unfortunate that the government appears to have disregarded all criticism of the manner in which it has gone about making and changing laws over the last 15 months.

Despite there being no meaningful opposition in the NA to obstruct its efforts and some weeks remaining till the end of its tenure, it still opted to pass legislation without having it debated or endorsed by public representatives. What else can this be described as if not contempt of parliament?

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2023