Lack of quorum results in NA session's adjournment

The National Assembly session was adjourned on Friday after short proceedings due to lack of quorum as the opposition staged a walkout from the House in protest for not allowing it to speak on the issue of production orders of its imprisoned members.

As soon as the question hour started, the members of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) wanted to speak on the issue of production orders on the floor of the House. Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri did not allow them and said that he would give floor to them after the question hour session.

Afterwards, the opposition members staged a walkout from the House in protest. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government's ally, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal also left the House along with the opposition.

Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri asked Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan to bring back the opposition members to attend the proceedings of the House. The minister tried to persuade the PML-N lawmakers but the opposition refused to listen to him.

Other opposition parties including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan (MMAP) also stayed away from the proceedings of the House.

The opposition has already raised the question why the production orders issued by Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser are not being implemented and PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique and Rana Sanaullah are not being allowed to come to the Parliament. The opposition announced that it would not attend the proceedings of National Assembly until the participation of the detained leaders.

When Parliamentary Secretary Sobia Kamal started replying the first question about construction of dams in Gilgit-Baltistan, MNA Hamid Hameed of PML-N stood up and pointed out the lack of quorum in the House. The deputy speaker ordered a count of the members and as the required number of legislators was not present, he suspended proceedings of the house for quite sometime.

Despite efforts of Chief Whip of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Aamir Dogar, required number of members of the ruling coalition did not come in the house even for a second count. Left with no choice, Deputy Speaker Suri adjourned proceedings of the house which will meet again on Monday at 4:00pm.