- Opposition again stages a walkout to protest delay in FATA reforms
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly session on Wednesday was adjourned for the third day due to the lack of quorum amid the opposition parties staging a walkout from the assembly against the government’s move to drop the bill pertaining to FATA reforms from the agenda of the house.
The National Assembly session began with Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in the chair.
Speaking on the floor of the House, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Naveed Qamar said that the government’s move to drop bill regarding FATA reforms was an insult to the parliament.
He announced that joint opposition would stage a walkout. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq advised opposition not to walk out of the session, but his plea was not heeded to.
The members vowed to continue their walkout until the government tables the FATA Reforms Bill in the National Assembly.
The government was supposed to table the reforms bill in the house on Monday (December 11), but pulled it out from the agenda for “technical reasons”.
On a point of order, Naveed Qamar said, “As per agreement of the opposition parties, we will not attend the proceedings of the NA till the inclusion of FATA Reforms Bill in the agenda.”
“The principle stance of all the political parties is not to attend the proceedings of the house and we will follow it,” he added.
Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief Sheikh Rashid said that the FATA Reforms Bill was a serious issue. He added that never before a bill had been taken out once it was made a part of the agenda.
“It was the unanimous decision of the whole nation to table the bill on FATA in the parliament and why this bill is being made controversial,” he questioned.
He also requested the NA speaker, as being the custodian of the house, to find out the solution to this important issue.
The parliamentary session that started on Wednesday morning had only 30 members in attendance, 16 from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and 14 members of the opposition. SAFRON Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch was also present.
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) MNA Alhaj Shahjee Gul Afridi pointed out that the 342-seat house was visibly short of the required 86-member quorum.
The government has 188 seats in the assembly if the seats of their political allies are included the number reaches 217 while the opposition members make up 114 seats.
The government’s continuous failure to ensure a quorum is putting a negative impact on the national treasury and parliamentary affairs of the country, according to the opposition members who were 100 members short.
The speaker adjourned the session till Thursday.