Islamabad:
In total, 78 members of the National Assembly (25%) attended the 13 sessions of the 17th session (budget) held from June 5 to 27, while 10 members (3%) remained absent throughout the session, according to official presence files.
The session began with strong participation – 83% attendance was recorded on the day of opening when the 2025 financial bill was presented. However, attendance decreased to a session of 57% during the third session, which presented general budgetary discussions. Participation has gradually recovered, growing at 93% the day the financing bill was adopted. The legislators have repeatedly expressed concerns about the absence of key ministers during the budgetary debates, which prompted the president to direct the holders of financial portfolio relevant to attend.
The files show that 235 MNA (75% of the house) have missed at least one session. Among these, only 79 (34%) officially submitted leave requests – 13 applied in advance, while 46 submitted requests after the return. Twenty legislators had their requests for leave read in the midst of the absence. In particular, 156 members (66% of absent) did not ask for leave. In addition, six MNA submitted leave requests for previous sessions.
Attendance varied from one demography to another: female AMNs: 22 women (41% of all women) – 19 on reserve and three on general seats – attended all sessions. MNA Minorities: The seven attended more than half of the sessions; Three attended each session. The MNA male on the general seats: 10 (4%) missed the whole session, 35 (14%) attended less than half and 208 (82%) were present in more than half of the sessions, including 54 (21%) with complete attendance.
Regional attendance trends have shown that the territory of the Islamabad capital leading with 100% attendance at its three MNA. Punjab and Sindh followed, with 85% and 86% of MNA respectively attend more than half of the sessions. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 39 MNA participated in more than half of the sessions, with 15 participants in all. Balutchistan recorded 75% attendance in the same category.
Participation in the party level was the highest among the MNA of PML-N, PPPP, MQMP and SIC, most of which attended more than half of the sessions. The only MWMP legislator marked full attendance. Bap, NP and PML-Z legislators were also largely present. However, the only representative of PKMAP attended less than half of the session.
The “Other” category includes games with less than eight MNA – like Bap, MWMP, NP, PKMAP, PML, PML -Z and IPP. The only member of the BNP has resigned, but he has not yet been officially accepted.
To prioritize the budgetary debate, the National Assembly suspended routine procedures, including the hours of question, the attention opinions (cans) and the importance of the public. This suspension was approved in the second session, although only one of the seven ministers concerned was present that day.
