Lawmakers losing interest in National Assembly proceeding ahead of upcoming elections

Lawmakers seemed disinterred in the business of the National Assembly on Wednesday, as mainstream political leadership of the major parties was absent and those present remain engaged in exchanging pleasantries. The leadership of opposition parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was absent from the Lower House of the Parliament.
Similarly senior leaders of ruling parties PPP--Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) were also absent. ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan often remained missing during most of the sessions of the National Assembly for the last five parliamentary years. Kahn did not attend even one sitting of the on-going session. In the past, Asfandyar Wali Khan did not participate in many important sessions where legislations of national importance were carried out.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehamn is busy nowadays in meetings with various political parties for alliance and seat adjustment for the forthcoming general elections. One of the important reasons for absence of the parties' leaders form the House may be that they are busy in negotiations for establishment of caretaker set-up and preparation for the upcoming elections.
Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has also written a letter to the Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan regarding formation of caretaker set-up for holding general elections in time. During the proceeding of the House, the members remained busy in chatting as if they are discussing their election strategies.
The National Assembly took up only two items on the agenda out of five during the proceeding; one was calling attention notice and the other an annual report of the National Economic Council for the financial year 2011-12, which was presented before the House. Most of the members expressed their views on point of orders pertaining to pressing issues of their constituencies.
Syed Zafar Ali Shah, a PPP veteran, who has recently joined the PML-N, and Ghous Bakish Meher who left the PML-Q to join PML-Functional claimed that President Asif Ali Zardari could influence the upcoming polls in Sindh to get desirable result, as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is under his influence in the province.
Zafar Ali Shah alleged that Asif Ali Zardari would utilize all available options to influence the general elections in Sindh and it is impossible that free and fair elections could be held in the province. Ghous Bakish Meher seconded Zafar Ali Shah, saying that it is feared that free and fair election could not be held in Sindh due to the influence of Asif Ali Zardari.
Rejecting the impression of both lawmakers, Shazia Marri of PPP clarified that the PPP enjoyed public support in Sindh and would also seize public support in the upcoming election. The PPP has addressed all the problems of flood victims, particularly in Sanghar District, she asserted. Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza also proposed to start the upcoming last three sittings of the ongoing session with National Anthem.