Nawaz to attend NA sitting after six months

No confirmation from the PM’s office whether Nawaz will address the house on internal security.

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to attend the National Assembly session on Monday after a six-month gap. The premier was last seen in the lower house of parliament in late July during the presidential election.

Since taking oath first as National Assembly member and then leader of the house, the premier has so far attended only seven sittings of the lower house out of over 50 held over the span of seven full sessions.

According to the details, the PM had attended the NA sitting of June 1 (oath taking), June 3 (election of speaker and deputy speaker), June 5 (election of prime minister), June 10 (first joint sitting addressed by then president Asif Ali Zardari), June 12 and 24 (budget session) and finally on July 29 (presidential elections).



During his last appearance in the assembly the prime minister had been there for 65 minutes, according to a Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) fact sheet on NA proceedings.

Upcoming session

The eighth session is starting at a time when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government is evolving a new strategy about launching a ground offensive in the North Waziristan Agency.

PM Sharif has convened a meeting of PML-N’s parliamentary party on Monday. PML-N members of assembly in general and ministers in particular have been asked to make sure their presence for Monday’s session.

The opposition had complained several times about the absence of the members and house proceedings have ended unceremoniously due to lack of required number of 86 out of 342 members to complete the quorum.

After the meeting the PM is likely to address the National Assembly, according to the sources, over the volatile security situation in the country.

However, the PM office did not confirm that the premier would address the National Assembly.

Security situation not on agenda

Sources in the National Assembly Secretariat told The Express Tribune that the first sitting does not have any special agenda item.

A senior official revealed that the agenda items include Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, two calling attention notice on the Vehari train accident and the other on non-payment of salaries to the employees of Pakistan Steel Mills.

Responding to a question about Protection of Pakistan Ordinance, the official said that the secretariat has not received it. However, there is likelihood that the ordinance would be laid before the house during the next session as it has been approved by the standing committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2014.