Only 41% of legislators took part in the first budget session of the 14th National Assembly as the government’s decision to implement the increase in the General Sales Tax (GST) before the passage of the budget was criticized by the opposition. On the other hand the Supreme Court also ruled the government had no legal authority to levy and charge 17 per cent GST without the parliamentary approval.

The session, that spread over 13 sittings from June 12 to June 28, 2013, lasted 85 hours. On average, each sitting started 20 minutes late and met for six hours and 32 minutes.

The first sitting saw the Finance Minister presenting the Finance Bill 2013 in his budget speech that spanned an hour and 50 minutes. The general debate started two days later with an opening speech by the Leader of the Opposition and lasted 41 hours and 25 minutes.

The opposition criticized the budget, terming it an “anti-poor budget designed to benefit the business class.” The opposition parties repeatedly condemned the increase in GST from 16% to 17% and its imposition before the budget’s passage. They also expressed concern over the government’s failure to expand the direct tax net, increase the salaries of government employees, tax the agriculture sector and fix the promised minimum wage. The online access of bank details awarded to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the abolition of tax exemption in terrorism-hit FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was also criticized.

The PTI, JI and the joint opposition staged walkouts to protest the increase in GST before the budget’s passage.

On the other hand, the Finance Minister and MNAs belonging to PML-N and its allied parties praised the budget. The Finance Minister made use of the constitution, various laws and economic issues in an attempt to defend the provisions being criticized by the opposition, while the ruling parties lauded the government for taking bold steps towards reviving the economy, such as the abolition of discretionary funds, reduction in the Prime Minister House’s expenditures and making a small cabinet etcetera.

On June 21 the Supreme Court voided the 1% increase in GST. It also took a suo motu notice over its collection before the budget’s passage, ordering the government to deposit the additional sales tax to the Supreme Court Registrar’s office.

During the eleventh sitting on June 24, the Prime Minister announced in the House that the federal government had decided to initiate a treason case against the former military ruler for subverting the constitution.

The National Assembly incorporated 21 out of 113 recommendations put forward by Senate as it passed the budget in the 12 sitting.

The members raised 770 cut motions against 53 demands for grants, most of which were directed to the Cabinet Division and the Ministry of Industries and Production. Cut motions were also moved against the Ministries of Interior, Finance, Water and Power, and Petroleum and Natural Resources among others. In total, 45 members debated the cut motions for six hours and 54 minutes. The PTI and PPPP members shared their views for 81 and 74 minutes respectively, while PML-N members debated cut motions for 101 minutes.

Twenty-one members (18 male and three female) spoke on charged expenditures on the consolidated fund for an hour and 16 minutes. Most of them (six) belonged to PTI, followed by PPPP (five), MQM (four), JUI-F (two), PML-N, JI, AMLP (one each) and an independent member. The opposition members demanded the revamping and strengthening of state-owned entities during the debate and urged the government to address issues faced by overseas Pakistanis and securing of foreign loans.

Nearly 2% of the proceedings’ time was spent on protests, walkouts and boycotts. The PTI and JI legislators staged independent walkouts over increase in power tariff and GST. MQM lawmakers staged five protests, including three independent protests over the killing of a party’s MPA and his son in Karachi, the alleged inaction of the government on law and order situation in Karachi, and the chair’s refusal to allow an MQM member to speak on a point of order. Additionally, the party staged two joint protests; a token walkout with PPPP, PTI, JI and AMLP on imposition of increased GST before the budget’s passage, and a walkout with PPPP over the government’s non-serious attitude towards law and order situation in Karachi.

Only 56% of the members (182 MNAs) participated in the assembly business – submission of agenda and on-floor debates. Four percent of the members solely submitted the agenda, 28% debated it while 24% engaged in both activities. A little over half of the male and female MNAs in the House participated in the proceedings; more of the earlier debated the agenda and the latter both submitted and debated the agenda.

The House also unanimously adopted two resolutions jointly sponsored by the government and the opposition parties. The first resolution, adopted in the third sitting, condemned the attack on Ziarat Residency, the Quetta attacks, and kidnapping of five doctors in Loralai. The second resolution, adopted in the 10 sitting, condemned the terrorist attack in Gilgit-Baltistan that killed ten foreign tourists and a local tour guide.

The opposition leader was present in all sittings and attended 48% of the proceedings. The Prime Minister, however, attended two sittings. The Speaker chaired 61% of the proceedings, the Deputy Speaker 32% while the rest of the proceedings were presided by the members of the Panel of the Chairpersons.

Since the National Assembly Secretariat does not share its members’ attendance record with the public,
FAFEN conducts a headcount of MNAs during the start, the end, and at a time when maximum members are present in each sitting. On average, 103 members were present at the beginning of each sitting, 89 at the time of adjournment and a maximum 198 members at a point during a sitting.

The House also considered 15 calling attention notices during the session, highlighting the delayed issuance of passports, the need for a clear policy on drone attacks, power outages, floods and mistreatment of Christian women in Kasur among other issues. Two notices put forward by PML-N members focused on construction work on national highways and illegal logging of old trees in Gilgit-Baltistan.

In total, members’ speeches on 235 points of order consumed 634 minutes, or 12% of the session’s time.

For complete report click here