The 13th National Assembly completed its mandatory 650 sittings on Tuesday setting a record in country’s parliamentary history by assembling on the required number of days during five years.
The Lower House made its 130th sitting, just four days before the completion of five-year tenure on March 16. The National Assembly held 50 sessions during last five years. The first sitting was held on March 17, 2008 when the members took oath and signed roll of members. Besides, 13 joint sittings were also made during the course.
In its 650 sittings, the Lower House passed around 126 bills, including 18th, 19th and 20th constitutional amendments, for women and children rights, reinstatement of sacked employees, election laws, besides passing the annual budget.
During this course, around 81 bills have been turned into Acts of Parliament after being approved by both the Houses until February 20 last.
The House also adopted 80 resolutions on various issues of national as well as international importance, including drone attacks, killings of polio workers, Gojra and Badami Bagh riots, blasphemous movie, human rights and social issues and for solidarity with the victims of natural disasters.
Unprecedentedly, the National Assembly held its two in-camera sessions in which the top military brass briefed the lawmakers on Abbottabad Operation and national security issues respectively.
It was also for the first time, President Asif Zardari addressed joint sitting of parliament for five times, accomplishing the constitutional obligation.
During its five-year term, the National Assembly lost its eight members with Minorities Affairs minister Shahbaz Bhatti murdered in Islamabad. Other members who had died while being members of the House included Merhunnisa Afridi, Taj Muhammad Jamali, Fauzia Wahab, Azim Daultana, Jam Yousuf, Niaz Muhammad Khan and Abdul Mateen Khan.
Moreover, the incumbent National Assembly was addressed twice by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and once by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
The sitting National Assembly also witnessed two prime ministers, including Yousaf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf as the former was disqualified by the Supreme Court.
