National Assembly. PHOTO: RADIO PAKISTAN
ISLAMABAD:
In the second parliamentary year of the 16th National Assembly, which ended on Tuesday, lawmakers passed 46 bills – 40 government bills and six private member’s bills. The House also passed 27 resolutions during this period.
A total of 159 bills were introduced during the year. Of these, 59 government bills were submitted to the National Assembly, while 14 were received from the Senate.
The NA held 11 sessions and three joint sessions during the year, totaling 130 working days for a total duration of 237 hours and 36 minutes. As part of its oversight function, MPs asked 7,625 questions, of which 1,710 were answered in the House.
Members submitted 329 notices of appeal, 49 were taken up for discussion. Fifteen motions to adjourn were proposed; 13 were rejected.
Of 33 motions of privilege, six were referred to standing committees, 18 are still under consideration, six were rejected and two were withdrawn. Pursuant to Standing Order 259, 263 motions were received, four were placed on the agenda and three were debated.
During the 2025-2026 budget session, the annual budget was discussed in detail.
For the first time in parliamentary history, a joint committee composed of members of the finance committees of both houses was created to carry out a detailed examination of the finance bill. The committee presented its recommendations after extensive deliberations.
Major legislations of the year included the 27th Constitutional Amendment and the Pakistan Army Act Amendments of 1958, among other important laws.
President Ayaz Sadiq chaired the proceedings, facilitating dialogue between the government and the opposition on issues of national importance.
Efforts were made to strengthen question time to ensure ministerial accountability, including summoning relevant secretaries when answers were not provided.
Parliamentary forums such as the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus, Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights, Forum of Young Parliamentarians and Parliamentary Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals have been activated to promote inclusive governance.
These forums organized policy dialogues, legislative workshops, public consultations and international engagements, with provincial caucuses established to broaden awareness.
The speaker also advanced parliamentary diplomacy, attending a conference in Türkiye in solidarity with Palestine and presenting Pakistan’s position.
He made official visits to Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan and participated in the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva.
