ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The ruling PML-N on Monday suffered an embarrassing setback in the National Assembly as the lower house was adjourned within minutes for lack of quorum after its estranged ally, the PPP, stayed away from the proceedings over the alleged rigging in the recently-held Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections.
The government failed to muster the required number of 84 lawmakers in the 336-member house, forcing the chair to adjourn the session without taking up any agenda item when quorum was pointed out by an opposition member from the PTI.
“No PPP, no quorum, simple,” posted PPP’s Sharmila Farooqui on her official social media account on X soon after the adjournment of the sitting.
Later, Ms Farooqui told Dawn PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had already declared the party would “no more cooperate with PML-N on quorum and legislation” in the parliament till their grievances over the alleged rigging and mismanagement in the AJK polls were addressed.
Even those party MNAs who were present at the start of the Question Hour left the chamber immediately seeing only 20 to 25 PML-N members on the treasury benches, she said, adding that the PPP had been completing the quorum in the assembly previously.
Ms Farooqui made it clear that the strategy would not change until their concerns over the AJK polls issue were addressed. She, however, did not elaborate any specific demand when asked as to what steps the party wanted the PML-N to take in order to allay their concerns when the election process had already been completed.
When Speaker Ayaz Sadiq earlier announced the opening of the Question Hour, PTI’s Iqbal Afridi pointed out lack of quorum. His action came when the speaker refused him the floor to speak on a point of order.
The speaker ordered a headcount and suspended the proceedings till the completion of the quorum. Some 35 minutes later, Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah was seen in the chair when the house resumed its proceedings. He adjourned the sitting till Tuesday after finding the house still not in order due to lack of quorum.
While the PPP had supported the government in the passage of the two security-related bills last week, Mr Bhutto-Zardari, in the presence of PM Shehbaz Sharif, had objected to the manner with which the government had been doing legislation.
After developing differences with the PML-N over the issue of AJK elections, a PPP delegation headed by Mr Bhutto-Zardari called on opposition leaders and sought their cooperation on the legislation in the parliament and its committees.
Hina Javed’s murder
At the outset of the sitting, the NA speaker expressed his concerns over the brutal murder of Hina Javed in Rawalpindi and referred the matter to the relevant house committee.
Mr Sadiq disclosed that Hina Javed had been posted in the National Assembly by the National IT Board on attachment from December 2019 till June this year after which she returned to her parent department. He said though such matters generally fell under provincial jurisdiction, the case was of particular concern since she had served at the NA.
He said the manner in which Hina Javed was murdered, and the violence against women, were matters of serious concern for everyone.
He appreciated the Women Parliamentary Caucus for taking up the matter and said the NA would provide full support in monitoring the case and extending whatever assistance was required.
Minister for Law and Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar said the ministry was in constant contact with the Rawalpindi police regarding the murder investigations. Two suspects were on three-day physical remand, he said, expressing the confidence that the culprits would be brought to justice.
