Leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party on Wednesday expressed strong dissatisfaction with the progress of proceedings in the National Assembly, accusing the acting president of adjourning the session several times despite the quorum.
PPP MP Aseefa Bhutto Zardari said the repeated adjournments were a mockery of the parliamentary system. “It is said that the speaker was instructed to postpone the session so that my attention could not be presented,” she said, calling the decision a “meaningless and meaningless political maneuver.” She issued a statement expressing her deep disappointment with the conduct of the Acting President.
During Question Hour, MP Nabeel Gabol raised concerns over Benazir’s income support program, saying there was no BISP center in his constituency. “Women are fainting there because of overcrowding,” he said, claiming that officials took 1,500 rupees from each woman as bribe.
Federal Minister Pir Imran Shah responded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered that the program be made transparent, adding that efforts were underway to digitize the entire system by March 2026. “There will be no corruption under our government,” he said.
Opposition member Agha Rafiullah complained that ministers were not present to answer questions. “We are playing the role of the opposition, so encourage us,” he said, pointing out that federal minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry was present but “busy in his own conversations”.
Agha Rafiullah criticized the quality of responses to questions, saying members worked hard to prepare the petitions but received only “vague answers” when requesting travel allowances. He challenged the minister to call the toll-free number of the Federal Education Council, implying that no one would answer.
Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said detailed responses had been provided and suggested Rafiullah to call the toll-free number in the hall himself. Panel chairman Ali Zahid asked both sides to resolve their differences in the lobby.
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PTI members disrupted the proceedings by brandishing banners bearing the image of the party’s founder and chanting slogans in the house.
Opposition member Iqbal Afridi twice highlighted the lack of quorum, leading to tallies confirming the presence of sufficient members. However, when Afridi asked for a point of order during question time, the panel chair refused, stating that points of order were not allowed during that segment.
The number of deputies in the House was calculated according to the quorum, the government failing to achieve it. “There were 63 members present in the House,” said panel chairman Ali Zahid.
During the announcement of the panel chairman, PPP members created a commotion. The session of the National Assembly was adjourned sine die.
Speaking to the media, PPP’s Abdul Qadir Patel suggested collusion between the government and the PTI, saying that just as someone had pointed out, the PTI had again demanded a quorum count. “The government’s attitude today was regrettable. The quorum was present, but we are disappointed with the behavior of the speaker,” he said, adding that the presence of the PPP alone ensured the quorum.
PPP MP Shazia Marri has asked the government to honor its commitment regarding the naming of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Airport. “Has the location of the airport changed, or has its name also changed? If the NADRA office building changes, will its name change? If the location of the Parliament building changes, will its name also change?” she asked.
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Marri said Benazir Bhutto did not need praise. “They are petty people who will always remain petty. What kind of vulgar conspiracy is this, hiding the name of an airport?”
She warned that if the government did not respond, the PPP would decide its future course of action at a meeting. “If you think the PPP came to the assembly just to watch a spectacle, that is not the case,” she said.
Marri called on the prime minister to recall his promise to the first lady, noting that some people name certain things after themselves during their lives while Benazir Bhutto, “a great leader”, never did so.
She criticized the PTI for appearing on “pro-Modi channels” and speaking out against Pakistan, adding that despite courts handing down “the worst verdicts” to her party, including denying Zulfikar Ali Bhutto a fair trial, “we have never burned any building.”
