National Assembly passes seven bills amid sparse attendance
ISLAMABAD: Before suspending its proceedings once again owing to a lack of quorum, the National Assembly on Monday passed seven bills in a session marred by low attendance and absence of ministers. A resolution against India’s atrocities and unlawful acts in the occupied Kashmir was also put off as proceedings were suspended after quorum was pointed out by an opposition lawmaker. The seven bills…
The National Assembly in Islamabad passed seven bills on Monday, but the session was hindered by a lack of quorum and the absence of ministers. This allowed an opposition lawmaker to thwart a resolution condemning India's actions in occupied Kashmir. Among the bills approved were the Pakistan Study Centres (Amendment) Bill 2026, the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill 2026, and several related to tourism, hotels, and arts institutes.
Following the passage of these bills, the house was adjourned till 11am, as interim PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan rose to raise a point of order. The proceedings were further marred by a debate sparked by MNA Syeda Amnah Batool's questioning about the alignment of university degrees with market needs and the involvement of internship programs.
Parliamentary Secretary Rabia Rahim provided an answer, citing a government policy that exempts students without completed internships from verification by the Higher Education Commission. When MNA Shagufta Jumani inquired about the completion time and cost of the Neelum-Jhelum power project, a parliamentary secretary attempted to respond, but the speaker barred any irrelevant response, emphasizing that ministers or their designated representatives must answer questions.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry clarified that parliamentary secretaries, holding ministerial status, could reply on their behalf, leading Law Minister Azam Tarar to support this stance, stating that answers should ideally come from ministers, but the law permits parliamentary secretaries to do so.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
