51 bills passed by NA during first parliamentary year

ISLAMABAD: The 16th National Assembly completed the first parliamentary year with massive legislation as 51 bills, including the 26th Constitutional Amendment, sailed through the Lower House of Parliament

“The completion of the 1st parliamentary year of the 16th National Assembly marks a significant milestone in the parliamentary and legislative history of the country,” the spokesperson for the National Assembly said on Saturday.

He said the National Assembly with Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq made strides in lawmaking with the successful passage or 40 government bills and 11 private members’ bills, while 36 government bills and six private members’ bills became Acts. Furthermore, 13 sessions of the National Assembly were held and 130 days of parliamentary proceedings were completed. In addition to this, 26 resolutions were adopted during the first parliamentary year and 1,059 starred and 264 unstarred questions were answered by ministries.

Moreover, 69 calling attention notices and four motions under Rule 259 were discussed in the House. During the budget session of financial year 2024-2025, annual budget for the year 2024-25 was also passed by the National Assembly after thorough debate and incorporation of the amendments proposed in the finance bill. One of the most notable milestones was the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which aimed at judicial reforms and reinforcing parliamentary supremacy. Other important legislation includes the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025, which aims to enhance Pakistan’s digital economy, and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025, which updates cybersecurity and digital crime regulations, he said.

“During the first parliamentary year of the current National Assembly, Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, conducted the proceedings of the House with impartiality playing a pivotal role as a bridge between the opposition and the government in the legislative process of public importance,” the spokesperson claimed. He said the Speaker gave special attention to the question hour to ensure that the public problems are being highlighted and resolved.

The ongoing process of “right-sizing” the NA Secretariat is being carried out in three phases. As of now, the first two phases have been successfully implemented, resulting in the abolition of 220 non-essential posts within grades 1 to 19. This reform has led to significant cost savings, with an annual reduction of over Rs563 million in public expenditure. The Speaker also targets saving of Rs1 billion annually as the third phase of reforms is rolled out. The transformation process to make the Parliament building a national symbol has begun, with a focus on the complete digitalisation of parliament.

While upholding the parliamentary traditions and rules, the Speaker spearheaded the process of formation of 37 National Assembly standing committees giving representation to all political parties. As many as 233 meetings of the standing committees were held and Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of previous committee were reviewed. The Speaker also hosted the 18th Speakers’ Conference at the Parliament House in December 2024. The event, which had been delayed for a decade, brought together speakers and presiding officers from Pakistan’s provincial and legislative bodies to deliberate on strengthening legislative practices and improving governance across the country. The 45th Annual Forum of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) was convened in Islamabad on October 28, 2024, bringing together over 46 foreign parliamentarians and 14 virtual delegates. Sheikh Dr. Salah Mohammad Al-Badeer, Imam of Masjid Al-Nabawi (SAW), and renowned Islamic scholar Dr. Zakir Naik also visited the National Assembly of Pakistan. Pakistan hosted the first-ever Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Workshop on Legislative Drafting, bringing together women legislators from across the Commonwealth to strengthen their expertise in drafting gender-responsive legislation.