Lack of quorum in the National Assembly forced the presiding officer to adjourn proceedings on Thursday, leaving most of the day’s agenda untouched after the House passed only one bill. The sitting was adjourned until Friday morning.
Agenda Left Unfinished
The agenda for the National Assembly sitting comprised 16 items, but proceedings were cut short midway after a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member pointed out that the required number of members was not present. A headcount confirmed the objection. Abdul Qadir Patel, who was presiding over the sitting, allowed additional time for the quorum to be completed. However, attendance remained below the required 88 members, and the House was subsequently adjourned.
Poor attendance has been a recurring concern in the lower house. Dawn has previously reported that only 20 per cent of lawmakers attended all sittings of an earlier session of the 27th National Assembly, which points to a wider problem of absenteeism.
Question Hour Covers Demolitions and Railways
Before the adjournment, the question hour covered a range of issues. Discussion on the demolition of houses and other structures in Islamabad, particularly in Sector E-12, drew a response from Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry. He said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had demolished only illegally constructed structures and houses. He added that the shortage of graveyards was among the major problems facing the city’s administration and residents, since most private housing schemes and societies had converted plots reserved for graveyards, schools, parks and mosques into commercial properties.
Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi told the House that Pakistan Railways had recovered more than 200,000 kanals of land previously occupied through encroachments. On the ML-1 railway project, he said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would inaugurate its first phase, which involves laying 480 kilometres of track between Rohri and Karachi at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion.
MNA Syed Rafiullah raised concern about the human cost of the ML-1 railway project. He said several families in Karachi’s Malir area had been rendered homeless by the scheme but had yet to be rehabilitated.
Exchange Over Haj Facilities
A question on facilities for Haj pilgrims produced a sharp exchange. PTI MNA Shehryar Afridi expressed displeasure that Parliamentary Secretary Kesoo Mal Kheal Das had answered the query. Mr Afridi said it would have been better if a responsible member of the treasury benches or the minister for parliamentary affairs had replied.
In response, Mr Das noted that a Hindu minister in India also handled Haj affairs, and questioned the suggestion that the matter required a more responsible person to address it. Mr Afridi also said some private Haj organisers had made the pilgrimage prohibitively expensive, with packages costing between Rs4 million and Rs5 million.
Bill Reshapes State Life Insurance Company
After question hour, the House passed the Life Insurance (Nationalisation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the only legislation approved before the adjournment. The bill provides for the federal government to establish a company, to be known as State Life Insurance Company Limited, under the Companies Act, 2017.
Under the bill, the appointment of the company’s chief executive officer and board of directors will be made in accordance with the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Act and the Companies Act, 2017. Once the company is incorporated, the federal government will issue a vesting order, published in the official gazette, transferring all assets, liabilities, contracts, policies, proceedings and undertakings of the existing corporation to the new entity on a specified date and under terms set by the government. The existing corporation will stand dissolved on the effective date.
The bill also addresses staff concerns. Employees and officers who have served the corporation continuously for at least one year before the effective date, excluding those hired on project contracts, will be transferred to the State Life Insurance Company on the same terms and conditions of service. Their existing rights and privileges, including pension entitlements, post-retirement medical benefits, provident fund and gratuity, will be protected.
Lack of Quorum in the National Assembly: Implications for Parliamentary Business
The latest lack of quorum in the National Assembly leaves a large part of the legislative and oversight agenda pending, including matters raised by members during question hour. While the passage of the State Life bill marks progress on a significant restructuring, the repeated inability of the House to maintain the required attendance continues to raise questions about the seriousness with which members approach their parliamentary duties. The House is scheduled to reconvene on Friday morning.
Follow SouthAsianDesk on X, Instagram, and Facebook for insights on business and current affairs from across South Asia.
