ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) strongly objected to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government’s promulgation of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, without President Asif Ali Zardari’s assent. PPP lawmakers staged a walkout from the National Assembly in protest.
While raising serious objections to the PML-N-led government on the floor of the National Assembly on Monday, PPP senior leader Syed Naveed Qamar said, “For the first time in Pakistan’s legislative history, an ordinance has been promulgated without the approval or signature of the President, which is shameful.How can you promulgate an ordinance and put it into effect without getting the President’s approval? Only the President can promulgate an ordinance if he deems it necessary. This has never happened, not even during dictatorships. I don’t know what excuse the government has for doing such a thing.
Under these circumstances, we cannot be part of this Parliament. I, along with my party colleagues, will walk out,” Naveed Qamar said.
Following this, PPP MNAs staged a walkout from the National Assembly in protest against the government.
In response, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said the issue stemmed from misinformation circulating on social media and assured the House that the government respected Asif Ali Zardari. He said there were nine or ten bills and ordinances pending presidential assent. “Just yesterday, we were informed that the President has been pleased to grant assent to those bills, Acts, and ordinances.
Maybe this is part of that process, or it might not be,” the law minister said on the floor of the House. “But let me be very clear on behalf of the government: Article 75 mentions that bills approved during a joint sitting are deemed to have been assented to after 10 days if the President does not give his assent. The deeming clause is invoked after 10 days. We have not notified even those out of respect for the President.”
He stated there were some bills, including those related to universities, which were still pending with the Presidency, and the government had not notified them, nor did it plan to promulgate them. “I have explained this now, but I will still talk to the relevant quarters and get back to Naveed Qamar.”
Hussain Tariq, a PPP lawmaker, pointed out the lack of quorum in the House. The Speaker asked for a count, which was conducted, and the quorum was found to be incomplete. The Speaker suspended the proceedings of the House for fifteen minutes.
The proceedings of the House were suspended for 29 minutes to allow more members to arrive. When the session resumed, the Speaker again ordered a count, but the quorum was still incomplete. Consequently, the Speaker adjourned the House to meet at 11:00 am Tuesday (Jan 13).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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