ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly erupted into chaos on Thursday as opposition PTI and JUI-F effectively blocked the government-sponsored Frontier Constabulary (Re-organization) Bill, 2025, intended to revamp the force and rename it the Federal Constabulary.
The House, supposed to pass the legislation, ground to a halt after just eight of its eighteen clauses were approved, succumbing to repeated quorum protests orchestrated by opposition lawmakers.
Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah, after ordering multiple headcounts, was compelled to acknowledge that the House did not meet the minimum number threshold required to conduct official business, ultimately proroguing the session indefinitely.
Brief attempts by the treasury benches to resume proceedings proved futile amid sustained vocal objections.
The government, which had accepted three amendments proposed by PPP MNA Naveed Qamar, was nevertheless unable to advance the bill.
The disruption was accompanied by vociferous sloganeering and procedural manoeuvres from the opposition, leaving the legislation mired in uncertainty.
Earlier, the session had moved smoothly with the approval of the Iqbal Academy (Amendment) Bill, 2025, passing with a majority vote, signalling an initial note of parliamentary efficiency before proceedings derailed.
However, when Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry introduced “The Frontier Constabulary (Re-organization) Bill, 2025” – already passed by the Senate – opposition MPs, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Shahid Khattak and Iqbal Afridi, together with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) lawmakers, staged coordinated protests, challenging the legitimacy of attempting to legislate in the absence of a quorum.
According to the statement of objects and reasons accompanying the bill, the Frontier Constabulary was established in 1913 and is governed under the Frontier Constabulary Act, 1915.
The force was originally tasked with maintaining law and order in frontier border areas and ensuring security in remote regions.
Over time, changes in national security dynamics, the rising frequency of emergencies, civil unrest, and other emerging threats have created the need for a more adaptable and versatile force capable of responding to challenges across the country.
The proposed amendment seeks to extend the regulation of the Frontier Constabulary to all federating units, including Gilgit-Baltistan, the Islamabad Capital Territory, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
At the outset, the session began on a relatively smoother note, with the National Assembly approving the Iqbal Academy (Amendment) Bill, 2025, tabled by Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Farah Naz Akbar. The bill was passed by a majority vote.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also introduced the Pakistan Airports Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and tabled the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, before the House.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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