The 13th National Assembly went down in history on Saturday (today) after completing its five year term leaving behind many 'dreadful failures' and a few 'self-serving' legislative achievements, political observers and analysts said.
They opined that the nation would not miss the out-going assembly rather feel a sigh of relief as there is a long list of PPP-led coalition government's misrule, mismanagement, corruption, economy in tatters, poverty on the rise, free fall of Pak rupee, economic dependence, national security failures, lawlessness, absence of specific sphere of nationalism taking the country at the brink of a "failed state"
They argued that there was lack of transparency and widespread corruption as political elites used their positions to oppose transparency and accountability. Similarly, the National Assembly failed to enact a new law on accountability despite the government introducing the National Accountability Bill in October 2012.
Besides, the State failed to defend citizens from terrorism and violence. However, the four bills to tackle terrorism were passed half-heartedly only in the fifth parliamentary year and that too in the last three sessions, they added. There was an increase in the number of IDPs, migrations to big cities and breakdown of social and economic order.
They said the State also failed to provide crucial services, such as health, education, sanitation, public transportation and essential commodities despite doubling the internal and external debt in five years. The human rights violations and abuse of legal, political and social rights are widespread. Private and religious militias have increased terrorism and created State within a State.
Regrettably, the government remained at a state of confrontation with the Superior Judiciary adamantly leading to political and economic uncertainty in the country during its five year rule. That led to dismissal of one Prime Minister on the charges of contempt of the court.
However, a report of Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) says the 13th National Assembly achieved a legislative agenda which altered the country's governance structure by ensuring provincial autonomy, transfer of more resources to the province, restoration of the 1973 constitution, and promotion of women's empowerment. The lower house elected a woman speaker for the first time in Pakistan's parliamentary history and the President addressed the joint sessions of the parliament for five consecutive years.
Following the established parliamentary tradition, the Leader of the Opposition was appointed as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. However, he resigned as the government refused to implement PAC's recommendations and exercise transparency in its governance and merit.
The FAFEN report said that in 50 regular sessions, the National Assembly held 521 sittings - 100 in the first, 107 in the second, 108 in the third, 106 in the fourth and 100 in the fifth parliamentary year. The National Assembly witnessed a historic change in the rules of procedure to allow standing committees to scrutinise ministerial budgetary proposals before made part of the federal budget.
A new leader of the House was elected in the fifth parliamentary year after the Supreme Court disqualified the Prime Minister in the contempt of court case. Similarly in the fifth parliamentary year 11 MNAs resigned because of holding dual nationalities. Nine members of the lower house died during the five years, including Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti who was assassinated in Islamabad.
LEGISLATION In the five parliamentary years, the National Assembly passed 134 bills - 116 government and 18 private members' bills. Of them, 81 became acts of the parliament. The 12th National Assembly had passed 51 bills during its five-year term.
Though the National Assembly passed only five bills in the first parliamentary year, the legislation picked up pace in the second, third, fourth and fifth parliamentary years, with the lower house passing 32, 31, 29, and 37 bills respectively. Out of total passed government bills, 56 sought amendments in the existing laws and the rest were new bills.
These included the 18th and 20th constitutional amendment bills, which helped restored the 1973 constitution, ensured provincial autonomy and gave Pakistan a consensus mechanism for civilian transfer of power democratically, besides the formation of the full five-member Election Commission of Pakistan.
Unlike the past assemblies, the Lower House witnessed the healthy trend of passing the private members' bills. Overall 189 private members bills were introduced in the lower house, with 135 seeking amendments in the existing laws. Of them 18 bills were passed. The PPP-P lawmakers introduced the most 62 or 33 percent of the private members' bills, followed by 53 each by PMLN and PML legislators.
BUDGET The debate on budget lasted for 82 sittings during the five parliamentary years - 19 in the first, 14 in the second, 22 in the third, 17 in the fourth and 10 sittings in the fifth parliamentary year. On average the budget debate lasted 16 sittings in each parliamentary year.
RESOLUTIONS Out of total 243 resolutions moved in the lower house in the five years, 85 were adopted. Six resolutions on women rights and five each on minorities' rights and blasphemy were adopted. Similarly on a host of issues such as Balochistan, increase in prices of petroleum products, child rights, killing of polio workers and journalists, democracy, attack on Malala Yousufzai, terrorism, human rights, situation in Swat, Nato attack on Salala check post, target killings, missing persons, killing of Osama bin Laden, creation of new provinces, employment, and obscenity on cable TV, the lower house adopted resolutions.
QUESTION HOUR In the five parliamentary years, 216 legislators asked 16,056 questions on the floor of the house, on average 3,211 questions every year. The government fully responded to 12,623 questions, with 3,357 queries remaining ignored, 68 received partial answers, six were withdrawn and two questions lapsed. In other words the government responded fully to 79 percent of the total questions submitted.
The main opposition PMLN asked the most questions, 9,903, which is 62 percent of the total questions. More active in their oversight role, 20 PML-N female legislators asked 5,347 questions, on average each of them asking 267 questions. Overall 55 women legislators asked 8,138 questions compared to 161 men lawmakers asking 7,918 questions in the five years. Women parliamentarians elected on reserved seats fulfilled their oversight role, as they submitted almost 48 percent of the total questions.
CALLING ATTENTION NOTICES During the five parliamentary years, legislators brought to the House's notice issues of urgent public importance - 109 in the first, 108 in the second, 120 in the third, 122 in the fourth and 84 in the fifth year. Out of the 543 notices, the House took up 440 for discussion during the five parliamentary years.
MEMBERS' PARTICIPATION In five parliamentary years, 23 legislators, among them five women and 18 men, did not take part in any parliamentary business. Of them, eight each belonged to PPP-P and PML, two each to PML-N and ANP and one each to PMLF and NPP along one Independent.
POINTS OF ORDER A total of 311 lawmakers spoke on scores of constituency, national and international issues through 5,099 points of order in the five parliamentary years.