ISLAMABAD - The federal government on Friday faced embarrassment in the National Assembly budget proceedings, as Finance Minister Miftah Ismail could not windup budget debate due to lack of required quorum.

The government side was interested to conclude the federal budget (2018-19) debate, as per its schedule, as almost all the members from both sides of the aisle have already spoken on the budgetary proposals.  The house, with the onset of proceedings, witnessed a very thin presence especially from the treasury benches.

Soon after the last speech by MNA Usman Khan Tarakai, the National Assembly staff immediately placed a lectern for finance minister to deliver the windup speech. The finance minister could hardly speak one sentence of his speech when PTI’s Dr Shireen Mazari rushed to point out lack of required quorum in the house.

Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi, after the repeated pointation regarding lack of required strength by the PTI’s MNA, asked the staff for counting the members present in the house. Some of the government members also rushed to the galleries to call the treasury benches members to complete the required quorum but it was too late.

With around 30 members from opposition benches, around 40 MNAs were present in the house.

Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Aftab Sherpao tried to take the floor to convince PTI’s member not to point out quorum in the house. “This is not a tradition in the budget session to point out quorum in the house,” Sherpao said, receiving supportive voices from the treasury benches.

Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanvi also went to opposition benches to convince Shireen Mazari to withdraw her call but she did not concede. The deputy speaker after this brief discussion between government and opposition members adjourned the house till Monday.

The treasury benches’ members have continuously been showing disinterest in the parliamentary affairs for last many National Assembly sessions and the house was suspended many time due lack of quorum. Out of 342 total MNAs, the government with over 2/3 majority only required 86 MNA(required strength) to run the house

Earlier, PPP’s MNA Shazia Marri strongly criticised the government for not providing proper relief to the masses in the budgetary proposals.

“Poor people of the country are not interested in numbers but want decrease in the rate of pulses,” said Mazari, mentioning that there was no proper women empowerment in the country.

“Representation of women in the parliament is not enough for women, as they should also be part of decision-making,” she said and criticised the Minister of State Abid Sher Ali for using derogatory language against a woman parliamentarian.

Minister for IPC Riaz Pirzada said his ministry played a role on the behalf of federal government coordinated with rest of the provinces. Other PML-N’s MNA Zahid Hamid, taking part in the debate, announced that his son will contest in the upcoming general elections.

“This is my last budget speech. I was elected as Member of the National Assembly (MNA) thrice but I have now decided that my son will contest elections,” said the minister and lauded the federal government for initiating China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).