The National Assembly, which resumed its scheduled proceeding after two-day break on Monday, faced the lack of quorum that led to the adjournment of the House till Tuesday 4 p.m.
As the House was about to take up the first agenda item the ‘Questions,’ Syed Agha Rafiullah of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) pointed out the lack of quorum. Initially, the proceeding remained suspended for almost 30 minutes, but on re-count of the members, Presiding Officer Amjid Ali Khan adjourned the House due to short of the required number to advance the proceeding.
Besides taking up the question-hour, the NA was scheduled to discuss two Calling Attention notices on matters of public importance including ‘lack of Government Soft Conventional Training Skills in Islamabad’ and ‘acute shortage of urea fertilizer ‘ in the country.
Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar was to introduce a bill further to amend the Private Power and Infrastructure Board Act, 2012 [The Private Power and Infrastructure Board (Amendment) Bill, 2022].
Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin was scheduled to lay before the National Assembly the statement of contingent liabilities of the federal government, for the current fiscal year, while Minister for Law and Justice Muhammad Farogh Naseem had to lay the annual report of the Council of Islamic Ideology for the period from 2012-2018, and the report on “Islamic Law of Inheritance” as required by clause (4) of Article 230 of the Constitution. The government bills related to the establishment of the Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission [The Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission Bill-2021]; and the Pakistan Global Institute [the Pakistan Global Institute Bill-2021]; and to consolidate and amend the law relating to the territorial sea and maritime zones of Pakistan [the Pakistan Maritime Zones Bill, 2021] was scheduled to be tabled in the NA for passage.
Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul had to move a motion that the Global Change Impact Studies Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2021, as passed by the National Assembly but not passed by the Senate within the stipulated period of 90 days, be referred to the Joint Sitting for consideration and passage. Debate on the situation arising out of the killing of a Sri Lankan Factory manager by a mob in Sialkot, and Motion of Thanks to express gratitude to the President of Pakistan for his address to both Houses assembled on September 13, 2021 were also among the agenda items.
