Govt fails to maintain quorum as PPP stays away from National Assembly

The Pakistani National Assembly faced an embarrassing adjournment on Monday, just minutes after its session began. The ruling PML-N government failed to maintain the required quorum, a situation exacerbated by the absence of its ally, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

The PPP's boycott was a direct response to alleged rigging and mismanagement in the recently concluded Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections. Sharmila Farooqui, a PPP representative, succinctly stated on social media, “No PPP, no quorum, simple.” She later confirmed to Dawn that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had declared the party would cease cooperating with the PML-N on quorum and legislative matters until their concerns regarding the AJK polls were addressed.

Even PPP members present at the start of the Question Hour reportedly left the chamber upon observing the meager presence of only 20 to 25 PML-N lawmakers on the treasury benches. Farooqui emphasized that the PPP had previously been instrumental in completing the quorum and that their current strategy would persist until their grievances were resolved. However, she did not specify the exact steps the PML-N needed to take to allay their concerns, especially since the AJK election process had already concluded.

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No PPP, no quorum, simple

The lack of quorum was initially pointed out by PTI lawmaker Iqbal Afridi when the Speaker refused him the floor to speak on a point of order. After a headcount confirmed the insufficient numbers, proceedings were suspended. The house resumed approximately 35 minutes later, but the Deputy Speaker, Ghulam Mustafa Shah, was compelled to adjourn the sitting until Tuesday due to the continued absence of a quorum.

This development follows a period of strained relations, despite the PPP having supported the government on security-related bills the previous week. Mr. Bhutto-Zardari had previously voiced objections to the government's legislative methods, even in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Following the disagreements over the AJK elections, a PPP delegation led by Mr. Bhutto-Zardari had engaged with opposition leaders to seek cooperation on parliamentary legislation.

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no more cooperate with PML-N on quorum and legislation