ISLAMABAD: The proceedings of National Assembly were once again cut short on Friday after a lack of quorum forced the session to be adjourned without addressing the scheduled agenda.
The session, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, kicked off with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) MNA Iqbal Khan Afridi requesting to speak on a point of order concerning recent killings in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
The NA speaker, however, citing rules – declined the PTI MNA’s request, insisting that such matters could only be addressed after the conclusion of the question hour.
Afridi continued, pressing to raise the issue during the question hour. When denied the floor by the chair, he pointed out the lack of quorum.
The PTI-backed SIC lawmakers then staged a walkout in protest.
Sadiq expressed disappointment at the opposition’s walkout and criticised their repeated use of quorum calls to disrupt proceedings.
He said the majority of questions on Friday’s agenda had been submitted by opposition lawmakers themselves, adding “It is unfortunate that those who had submitted questions chose to leave the House instead of engaging in debate on key national issues.”
During the session, the speaker also addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding the Cholistan canal projects.
He said the matter had already been debated earlier in the session, with participation from MPs across the political spectrum, except the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), who were absent at the time.
Sadiq continued that both Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the PTI had submitted separate resolutions regarding the Cholistan project on 7 and 10 April, respectively.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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