Women lawmakers have been more active than men during the past two parliamentary years of Punjab Assembly.
In parliamentary affairs and legislation, PML-N member Hina Parvez Butt has contributed the most to the assembly proceedings, followed by Kanwal Liaqat and PTI's Neelam Hayat. However, Sania Ashiq, PML-Q's Basma Chaudhry and PTI's Syeda Sonia Raza remained silent most of the time.
Musarat Jamshed Cheema, Sadia Taimur, Rahat Afzai, Rabia Nusrat, Momina Waheed and Sambia Tahir submitted the highest number of resolutions. Women from different political parties have been elected to reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies for the past 17 years and they have strongly defended their leadership during the debates. In Punjab Assembly, 35 of the women members on reserved seats are from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, 33 from the PML-N, two from PML-Q and one PPP. Three MPAs have won general elections from their constituencies.
According to the official record, about 2,000 resolutions and calling attention notices were submitted by the women members to the assembly secretariat. Of them, more than 500 were presented in the House and about 80 resolutions were adopted. Interestingly, the resolutions tabled did not include any in which women's rights and issues were highlighted.
Since the last elections, women members of the Punjab Assembly appeared to be more active participants than men during the two parliamentary years.
PML-N member Uzma Bukhari was very active in assembly proceedings in the first year but she did not seem very active in the second parliamentary year. Most business items initiated by the same party's Sadia Taimour were rejected. Several women members were reprimanded by Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on various occasions. Most of the women members on both the treasury and opposition benches have become members of the assembly for the first time.
Many of them are unfamiliar with the assembly rules even after two years. Most women members raced for two years to submit resolutions against the leaders of each other's party. All such drafts were rejected by the assembly secretariat as they were against the rules.
The women members of Punjab Assembly from PML-N include Uniza Fatima, Bushra Anjum Butt, Uzma Bukhari, Faiza Mushtaq, Gulnaz Shahzadi, Hasina Begum, Hina Parvez Butt, Ishrat Ashraf, Joyce Roffin Julius, Kanwal Liaqat and Khaleda Mansoor submitted calling attention notices, adjournment motions and questions, while most of the rest preferred to pass the time quietly. The situation of treasury benches is not different. Neelam Hayat topped the list in submitting assembly business followed by Momina Waheed.
PML-N Punjab Information Secretary Uzma Bukhari said the party had encouraged women and highlighted their issues. "Our MPAs have submitted resolutions on women's issues and violence against them." She further said that women had been elected to the House on reserved seats so that they could become advocates of women's rights.
She said that in the first parliamentary year, she had submitted a record number of resolutions in the assemMPA Hina Pervaiz Butt said the PML-N had always played a leading role regarding women's rights. She said she had been active in the assembly proceedings from the first day.
On the other hand, Musarat Jamshed Cheema, who is Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs, said the PTI was the only champion of women's rights inside and outside the assemblies.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2020.
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