Record for Pakistan: National assembly completes 650 sittings

First ever NA to do so in history of the country.


March 12, 2013
A file photo of National Assembly. PHOTO: APP/FILE

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly set a record for completing it's mandatory 650 sittings in five years on Tuesday, four days before the completion of the five-year tenure.

The first sitting was held on March 17, 2008 when the members took oath.

In its 650 sittings, the Lower House passed 126 bills including some important legislation which called for rights for women and children, reinstatement of sacked employees and election laws, through 18, 19 and 20 constitutional amendments.

Around 81 bills had been approved into Acts of Parliament during the tenure. The last act was approved on February 20.

The House also adopted 80 resolutions on various issues of national and international importance. These resolutions addressed issues like drone attacks, killings of polio workers, Gojra and Badami Bagh riots and social issues.

The National Assembly held the in-camera sessions in which the top military brass briefed the parliamentarians on Abbottabad Operation in which US Navy SEALs killed al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.

The President of Pakistan addressed the joint sitting of Parliament five times, hence fulfilling the constitutional obligation.

The National Assembly lost eight members including the Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti who was murdered in firing incident that took place in Islamabad.

Other members who lost their lives during the five-year tenure include Merhun Nisa Afridi, Taj Muhammad Jamali, Fauzia Wahab, Azim Daultana, JamYousuf, 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, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and RajaPervaiz Ashraf.

COMMENTS (17)

Faisal | 11 years ago | Reply

650 sittings... who cares... ???

Don't go by the numbers , check the ground realities.

Maryam | 11 years ago | Reply

a positive note!

VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ