ISLAMABAD - If presence in the parliament was a criterion in the third parliamentary year, most of the MNAs would go home with only a meagre percentage of their salaries but interestingly they want five-time raise in their remunerations.
The seriousness of these MNAs from both sides of the aisle could be gauged from the facts that around 48 percent of them missed half of the proceedings in third parliamentary year (from June 2015 to May 2016).
The disinterest level could also be gauged as around 20 of them, in this parliamentary year, graced the floor of the house for 20 times.
Over ten heavyweights are also in a list who attended only 10 percent proceedings during this parliamentary year. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, PTI’s Chief Imran Khan, PPP’s senior lawmaker Faryal Talpur, ANP’s Ameer Haider took lead showing disinterest by attending less than 10 sittings in this particular period, revealed data collected by FAFEN.
A large number of these public representatives, who secured thousands of votes to raise voice of the public of their area, did not ask the government even a single question.
Interestingly, with this performance in the lower house of parliament these member parliamentarians (MPs) a couple of days before adopted a report of special committee seeking 5-time increase in the salaries and allowances of lawmakers of both the houses as well as of NA Speaker and Deputy Speaker and Senate Chairman Senate, Deputy Chairman.
This third parliamentary year has also caused embarrassment for PML-N government, as despite having over two-third majority the house was suspended for around 28 times due lack of required strength to maintain quorum.
The opposition lawmakers mainly from PTI, despite much effort from treasury side, have successfully suspended the house by pointing out quorum of the house during third parliamentary year.
Jamshaid Ahmed Dasti, Imran Zafar Leghari, Shireen Mazari, Nauman Islam Shaikh, Murad Saeed, Amjid Ali Khan and other lawmakers mainly pointed out quorum during this period.
The government side, at the end of this parliamentary year, has failed to properly maintain quorum in the last two weeks. The united opposition side by pointing out quorum suspended the house for six consecutive days. The united opposition also stayed away from the proceedings of the house for a week in protest, as they were demanding prime minister’s clarification on Panama leaks at the floor of the house.
The legislators who remained most regular in the sittings of National Assembly (in third parliamentary year) include Minister Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, Aliya Kamran, Naseema Hafeez Panezai, Begum Tahira Bukhari, Kiran Haider, Naeema Kishwar Khan, Aftab Shahban Mirani, Musarat Rafique Mahesar, Mian Abdul Manan, Shahida Rehmani, Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan, Sardar Mumtaz Khan, Abdul Qahar Khan Wadan, Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan, Sajida Begum, Waheed Alam Khan, Dr. Shireen Mazari, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Muhammad Talal Chaudhary, Rana Afzaal Hussain, Aisha Syed, Muhammad Jamal Ud Din, Rana Zahid Hussain Khan, Mahmood Bashir Virk, Ghulam Sarwar, Khalil George, Mian Muhammad Rasheed, Muhammad Khan Daha, Sardar Muhammad Arshad Khan Laghari and others.
The performance report of legislation during the third parliamentary year, made available through parliamentary sources, revealed that 45 government bills were passed
The parliamentary sources shared that nearly 90 MNAs from Punjab took the lead by showing no interest in participating in the ‘question hour’ while 20 legislators from Sindh and 15 from Khyber Pakhtukhwa (KP) stood second and third, respectively.
This government, despite enjoying over two-third majority in the National Assembly, sometimes had to face difficulty to get bills passed because of thin presence. As, in the last days before the completion of third parliamentary year, the government side has to twice delay 22nd amendment because of thin presence.
It would not be out of place to mention that around 60 percent of MNAs also did not take interest in moving any bill in the house, while legislation is their main responsibility. Most of the MNAs, mainly from back benches, hardly take part in discussions on the bills as they only found supporting their parties.
Political analysts viewed that a large number of lawmakers who claimed to change the fate of the public from last many years have been showing same disinterest in the house.
Some of them, albeit, secured thousands of votes from their respective constituencies but remain silent during the legislation process. Even some of them skip from commenting on presidential speech and federal budget.