Budget session likely from June 6-28: NA speaker calls meeting of parliamentary leaders, parties’ whips tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has convened a meeting of parliamentary leaders, chief whip and other whips of the parliamentary parties on Monday, prior to an NA session to decide parliamentary calendar of the Assembly, budget session, which is expected in June, and for allotment of days for discussion on vote of thanks on the presidential speech.

Those who were invited to attend the meeting were: Minister for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazeer Tarar and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry from the PMLN, Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain from the PMLQ, Chief Whip of PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, Chief Whip of PPP Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani, whip of MQM-Pakistan Aminul Haq, Noor Alam Khan from the JUI-Fazl, Gul Asghar Khan from Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and Khalid Hussain Magsi from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

In previous meeting of the government and the opposition representatives with the NA speaker last month, an understanding was reached for starting a discussion and allotment of days for discussion on vote of thanks over presidential address to the joint sitting of the parliament from May 13.

However, the final approval would be given in the Monday meeting.

According to sources, the issue of formation of standing committees and chairmanship of the committees would also be discussed in the meeting as the opposition has to give its point of view on the chairmanship of the standing committees.

The government and its allied parties will also come up with their suggestion about the chairmanship of the standing committee of the National Assembly.

According to sources, it was decided in the previous meeting that the discussion on the motion of thanks would commence in the session, starting from May 13, 2024 and tentative schedule was discussed in that meeting, according to which, five days will be given for discussion and duration of each sitting will be five hours, 10 minutes will be allotted to members from all parties; however, the parliamentary leaders will be given more than 10 minutes.

On the first two days, one member from the opposition side and one from the government would be allowed to speak on the motion of thanks. From the third day, two members from the government side and one member from the opposition side would be allowed to speak.

Sources said the National Assembly Secretariat has formulated a tentative schedule for the budget session, likely to be held from June 6 to 28, 2024. The government intends to present the budget for fiscal year 2024-25 on June 7, but the final decision will be announced by the government in the National Assembly. According to tentative schedule, the budget sitting would also be held on Saturday.

In the tentative schedule for the budget session, it was proposed that there would be six-day break for Eidul Azha; and there should be no question hour during the budget session. Winding up of general discussion on budget would be on June 21, 2024 and discussion on the charged expenditure would be held on June 22, 2024, cut motions will be taken up from June 24 to 25, 2024, consideration and passage of finance bill will be on June 26, 2024 and supplementary grants will be taken up on June 27, 2024.