ISLAMABAD: The first 100 days of Pakistan’s 16th National Assembly, which began on February 29, 2024, mirrored the performance of previous assemblies, characterised by a slow legislative pace despite high attendance.

Fafen in its report, ‘100 Days of 16th National Assembly of Pakistan’, said in a climate of heightened political polarisation and unresolved electoral controversies, the assembly encouraged bipartisanship, allocating nearly 54pc of the time used for points of order to the opposition.

The assembly also focused on parliamentary transparency and gender responsiveness, but its overall performance was hampered by delays in forming standing committees and restrictions on citizens’ access to proceedings.

Following the February 8 elections, no party secured a simple majority. The Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) formed a federal government with support from eight other parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League (PML), Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and National Party (NP).

The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) emerged as the largest parliamentary party after 84 independent lawmakers, supported by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), joined it. However, they opted to sit on the opposition benches.

The house remains short of 26 members as the Supreme Court has yet to resolve the legal dispute over SIC’s eligibility for seats reserved for women and non-Muslims.

Fafen said the Senate and presidential elections followed shortly after the general elections, unlike previous assemblies where the treasury parties had to wait several months for their mandates to be reflected in the Senate composition.

Legislative proceedings

The 16th National Assembly had a slow legislative start, approving only a money bill during its first 100 days.

About half of the legislative business presented before the house pertained to the outgoing caretaker government.

The house held 23 sittings spanning 66 hours and 33 minutes, with the speaker and deputy speaker chairing 84pc of the proceedings. Points of order consumed 30pc of the plenary’s time, while 5pc was lost to breaks.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended only two sittings (10pc) after his election as Leader of the House, a stark contrast to former prime ministers Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif, who attended 29pc and 26pc of the sittings during the first 100 days of their respective terms.

The assembly elected its standing committees and authorised the speaker to nominate members to the committees on May 17, over a month later than required by Rule 200(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007.

Participation and business

Out of 310 members, 159 (51pc) actively participated by sponsoring agenda items or participating in discussions.

Female lawmakers had a higher participation rate (61pc) compared to male lawmakers (49pc). The house addressed 76pc of its business, including 20 legislative bills, 93 questions, 28 calling attention notices (CANs) and 11 resolutions. Plenary attendance averaged 230 members per sitting, with a maximum attendance of 302 and a minimum of 176.

In his maiden speech, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif outlined his government’s plans for foreign relations, agriculture, economic affairs, tax reforms, energy, human development and law and order. Specific commitments included providing high-quality seeds to farmers, creating export zones, broad tax reforms, renewable energy projects, scholarships for students and addressing terrorism and the issue of missing persons in Balochistan.

Meanwhile, details of the house proceedings and records are largely available on the National Assembly’s website, but the availability of livestreams and video recordings of the proceedings remained limited and selective. However, citizens’ access to the common man’s gallery has been restricted due to security concerns.

Gender sensitivity

Despite isolated incidents of gender-insensitivity, the assembly maintained a gender-sensitive and responsive outlook towards women issues.

It constituted a parliamentary committee on gender mainstreaming to solicit recommendations on women’s empowerment.

In a notable departure from past practices, the house censured the use of inappropriate language against women lawmakers by adopting a treasury-sponsored resolution.

The maiden addresses by the prime minister and the president also featured commitments to promoting gender equality. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle highlighted various issues facing women and sought the treasury’s intervention to address them.

The first 100 days of Pakistan’s 16th National Assembly set a mixed precedent of legislative efforts and political cooperation, reflecting the challenges and complexities of the country’s current political landscape.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2024