Pakistan's parliament fast tracks 42 bills in turbulent first year

Pakistan's parliament wrapped up a landmark first year marked by swift legislative action and partisan tensions, passing 42 bills including significant constitutional changes despite frequent opposition boycotts.

The National Assembly held 130 meetings across 13 sessions during its inaugural year, which began on February 29, 2024, following the February 8 general elections that brought the current coalition government to power. The period saw two joint parliamentary sessions addressed by President Asif Ali Zardari - the first on March 18, 2024, and the second on January 24, 2025.

In a demonstration of robust legislative activity, lawmakers introduced 178 bills, with the government putting forward 88 proposals and private members introducing 90 bills.

Of the government's proposals, 29 were introduced directly in the National Assembly, 15 came as ordinances, and 9 were passed by the Senate before presentation. Private members presented 54 bills in private proceedings, while 26 came through the Senate, according to documents obtained by Nukta.

The government successfully shepherded 35 bills through the National Assembly, with a total of 36 government bills and 6 private member bills ultimately becoming acts. The National Assembly also passed 24 resolutions during this period.

Key legislation included the 26th amendment and crucial bills affecting the judiciary and defense institutions. The parliament also enacted controversial measures like the PECA Amendment Act 2025, which drew scrutiny from opposition parties.

Persistent challenges

However, the year was marked by persistent challenges. Most seats reserved for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) remained vacant, while opposition parties staged repeated walkouts. The PTI and SIC frequently raised quorum issues, leading to multiple session adjournments.

Parliamentary oversight faced hurdles as members regularly complained about federal ministers' absence during Question Hour, with several sessions having to be adjourned due to ministerial absences.

Of the 1,677 questions posed to various government divisions, 1,341 received answers while 336 remained unaddressed. The Interior Division fielded the most queries with 248, followed by the Power Division with 164, Finance and Revenue with 103, while the National Security Division received the fewest with just 2 questions.

According to parliamentary sources, President Zardari is scheduled to address a joint session in March 2025, inaugurating the new parliamentary year.