PESHAWAR:
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session, convened on the orders of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to begin on time, was adjourned on Tuesday due to lack of quorum with lawmakers not turning up in sufficient numbers.
Despite the chief minister’s instructions to begin proceedings on time, the session collapsed soon after it began, with only 25 members present, far short of the required minimum of 38 lawmakers for a quorum.
The assembly meeting began around 2:30 p.m., under the chairmanship of Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, after recitation of the Holy Quran and the national anthem.
Before the day’s parliamentary proceedings began, ANP MP Arbab Usman rose from his seat, pointing out the empty benches and criticizing the lack of participation.
He noted that while it was commendable that the assembly started on time, as per the chief minister’s orders, it was unfortunate that “public resources were being wasted” due to the absence of the members.
Following the objection, the speaker ordered a head count, which confirmed that attendance at the meeting was only 25 members. Therefore, Speaker Swati adjourned the meeting until 2 p.m. on Friday, October 24.
According to sources, in recent weeks the assembly had gotten into the habit of starting its sessions two to three hours late, often due to the late arrival of members. The chief minister had given clear instructions to reverse this practice and ensure punctual sessions.
Officials added that many lawmakers were reportedly on their way to the assembly when the adjournment was announced.
