National Assembly of Pakistan. PHOTO: APP
Over the years, women’s representation in parliament has grown through reserved seats, yet their participation in the National Assembly business is far from being satisfactory.
It has been a long-standing demand to ensure that women play an active role in crafting state policies. However, a segment of female lawmakers, elected on women’s reserved seats of the lower house, have remained silent and shown little interest in the proceedings of the assembly so far, the National Assembly’s records reveal.
Some 12 female legislators have hardly contributed anything to the proceedings. They have rarely asked any question, have neither introduced any resolution nor taken up any remarkable calling attention notice.
These legislators – including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Aasyia Naz Tanoli, Rida Khan, Leila Khan, Iffat Liaquat, Shazia Ashfaq Mattu, Dr Asma Mamdot, Amra Khan, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Shakila Luqman and Begum Majeeda Wyne, as well as Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) Reeta Ishwar and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) – have remained aloof from the legislative business most of the time and have hardly taken part in any kind of debate.
Two ruling party MPs Marvi Memon and Ayesha Raza Farooq have also shown little interest in the house’s business and asked only one question each till the 8th session of the incumbent assembly.
On the other hand, State Minister for Information and Technology Anusha Rahman Khan has introduced only one resolution during this period.
Other PML-N members Maiza Hameed, Arifa Khalid Pervaiz and Phyllis Azeem have minimal participation having drawn the attention of the house by raising one calling attention notice each - the same number introduced by PPPP's Alizeh Iqbal Haider
Against this backdrop, the PPPP’s Nafisa Shah turns out to be the most active female member, who has introduced two bills –The HIV/AIDS (Safety and Control) Bill, 2013 and The Political Parties Order (Amendment) Bill, 2013, which were sent to the relevant standing committees.
She has also asked 78 questions from different ministries, laid 10 calling attention notices – out of which eight were taken up – and introduced four resolutions which were adopted by the house. In addition Nafisa Shah has also introduced two motions under rule 259 which, however, were not taken up. However, she has remained vocal in the house and presented her findings on various issues.
The PTI’s Munaza Hassan has also participated in most of the house proceedings and asked 69 questions. She has drawn attention of the house through four calling attention notices, three of which were taken. She has also introduced four resolutions out of which two were adopted and laid three motions under rule 259.
One of the most active female lawmakers, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s Kishwar Zehra has introduced four bills, two of which were taken up and sent to the relevant standing committees.
The opposition PPPP’s Nighat Parveen and Surriya Asghar, PTI’s Dr Shireen Mazari, and MQM's Tahira Asif and Saman Sultana Jafri and Dr Nikhat have all introduced one bill each.
Dr Mazari has been very vocal in expressing her views and at times has taken a standpoint even against her party’s policy. Dr Mazari and Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak have also drawn the attention of the chair towards lack of quorum during two sessions.
In terms of asking questions, the most active member has been the PPPP’s Belum Hasnain, who asked 117 questions from different ministries. She is followed by the PTI’s Nafeesa Inaytullah Khan Khattak, who asked 97 questions.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 23rd, 2014.
CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this story, there were the following errors in party affiliations:
Alizeh Iqbal Haider is not from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) but from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Kishwer Zehra is not from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) but from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Saman Sultana Jafri is not from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) but from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Tahira Asif (earlier mentioned as Tahira Ashraf) is not from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) but from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
The tabulation errors are regretted.
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So turns out PTI's MNA's are the most active. Only PTI understands the true meaning of democracy and empowering women. We know most of them are there to enjoy the perks and that's it
The idea of reserved seats for women and minorities is bad. There should be public election for those seats as well rather than the parties hand picking selected parliamentarians with no public roots.
Most of the women on reserved seats are spouses of the elite, whereby women from the rural areas should be elected. Why is the tax payer's money is spent on these showcase ladies? what benefit is it to this nation to have the wife of Hussain Haqqani on the women's reserved seat? Reserved seats for women should not be given to those whose spouses are either member of parliament or minister nor of a bureaucrat. If you want to empower women, then empower those from the lower strata of society, from the rural areas, who will devotedly serve the country.
Women MPs on reserved seats do not represent the public. They represent powerful families. The mechanism to choose women MPs should be changed into some sort of elections.
Big Mistake is that they just want to empower women but they dont know how. straight away giving them important posts is not right. first they should see which women of capable of bringing some benefit... but then again Men are also...