Despite political controversies in the past five years, the 14th National Assembly took up an unprecedented legislative agenda by approving 205 bills as compared to 134 and 51 bills passed by 13th and 12th National Assemblies during their five-year terms respectively.
The House approved several important pieces of legislation, including five constitutional amendments during 56 sessions comprising 495 sittings, that provided for setting up military courts for an initial period of two years and their subsequent extension for another two years, reallocation of National Assembly seats among federating units on the basis of fresh census results, electoral reforms and the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Elections Act, 2017, which reformed and consolidated the erstwhile eight separate election laws of the country, also saw light of the day during the term of 14th Assembly.
Other important government legislations included reforms in the criminal justice system providing for compensation of litigation costs, institutionalization of alternate dispute resolution mechanisms, witnesses' protection and expeditious disposal of law suits. The House also legislated for the right to information, whistle-blowers' protection, climate change and institutional reforms. In addition to the legislation, the House adopted 209 resolutions making recommendations to the government on the issues concerning foreign affairs, economy, internal security, education, health and others.
Keeping the tradition set by the previous assembly alive, the House passed 23 private members' bills as well. Overall 237 private members' bills were introduced in the Lower House. Among the parliamentary parties, MQM lawmakers were most keen towards introducing the private members' legislation as they sponsored nearly one-third (75) bills during the reporting period. Private lawmakers of the ruling party PML-N sponsored 53 bills, PPPP lawmakers 33 and PTI lawmakers 26. Moreover, legislators from two or more political parties collaborated in sponsoring nine private members' bills.
The lawmakers kept a close vigil on the executive by raising 13,912 questions, moving 533 calling attention notices, and holding discussions on 45 motions under the Rule 259.
During the reporting period, 194 lawmakers of 16 parliamentary parties, including 56 women and 138 men, exercised their right to ask questions on the floor of the House. Women lawmakers asked 7,909 (57 percent) questions while men 6,003 (43 percent) questions. The government replied to 10,926 (79 percent) out of 13,912 questions while 2,977 (21 percent) questions remained unaddressed during the term of the assembly.
Of 533 CANs submitted during five years, the House took up 424 (80 percent) CANs during the proceedings and sought the government's response on the issues of public importance. However, the House showed a dismal performance in taking up the motions under Rule 259 as only 45 out of 329 motions - 26 government and 303 private - came under discussion during the term of the assembly. All of the government motions except one were discussed while only 20 private motions were taken up for discussion.
The 14th National Assembly passed 18 amendments to the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business by introducing some meaningful reforms. The composition of the Public Accounts Committee was changed to give representation to the Senate, making it more powerful to oversee the financial discipline of the executive. The previous assembly had amended the Rules of Procedure allowing the standing committees to scrutinize ministerial budgetary proposals before their inclusion in the federal budget and make recommendations on these proposals. Further strengthening the parliamentary role in the budget-making, the 14th Assembly bound the government ministries to inform the standing committees about incorporation of their recommendations in the final budgetary proposals. In another amendment, the House mandated the recitation of Naat before the commencement of its formal proceedings.
During the five-year period of Assembly, 306 (89 percent) out of 342 lawmakers actively participated in the House business by sponsoring agenda items and taking part in the plenary discussions. However, the lawmakers' attendance showed a declining trend over the period of five years with annual average attendance falling from 222 (65 percent) legislators per sitting during first year to 189 (55 percent) lawmakers per sitting during the last year.
The 14th assembly was also unique in terms of the elections to the offices of the speaker and the leader of the house. The assembly had to choose the speaker and the leaders of the house twice during its five-year term. The re-election to the office of the speaker was necessitated by the de-seating of Speaker Ayaz Sadiq by an election tribunal which had declared his election as the member of National Assembly null and void and ordered re-poll in his constituency NA-122. Following his re-election to the House, he became the only parliamentarian having been chosen as the speaker twice during a single term of the assembly. The re-election to the office of the Prime Minister took place due to the disqualification of former premier Nawaz Sharif from holding public office by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in July 2017. Moreover, the House also witnessed the address by the Presidents of China, Turkey and Indonesia to the joint sessions of both Houses of the Parliament.-PR
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