Government suffers major setback in National Assembly

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led government faced a difficult situation in the National Assembly when PPP members did not attend the session and the quorum could not be met. The National Assembly session was adjourned shortly after the proceedings began on Monday.

The presence of at least 84 members was necessary for the 336-member house to continue proceedings. PTI MNA Iqbal Afridi pointed out the quorum. Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq counted the members, after which the session was suspended until the quorum was met. The proceedings resumed after about 35 minutes, but Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah adjourned the meeting until Tuesday as the required number was not met.

PPP MLA Sharmila Farooqui said on social media after the meeting was adjourned that the quorum could not be met due to the party’s absence. According to her, the PPP has decided not to cooperate with the PML-N in quorum and legislation until its concerns regarding the recent elections in Azad Kashmir are resolved.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also expressed concerns about the government’s legislative process. Following differences between the two coalition parties on the issue of the Azad Kashmir elections, the PPP has also contacted opposition leaders.

Last week, the PPP had cooperated with the government in passing two security-related bills. However, recent differences have raised questions about the future of parliamentary cooperation.

The issue of Hina Javed’s murder in Rawalpindi was also discussed in the meeting. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq expressed concern over the incident and referred the matter to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and sought a report from the committee. Hina Javed had been serving in the National Assembly under the National Information Technology Board from 2019 to June 2026.

Federal Minister for Law and Human Rights Azam Nazir Tarar said that the government is in constant touch with the police. According to him, two suspects have been arrested in the murder case and taken on three-day physical remand. He assured that the investigation will continue to be monitored and efforts will be made to punish those responsible according to the law.