US lawmakers made no mention of Imran in meeting: NA speaker

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Tuesday said that the US Congressmen visiting Pakistan made no mention of PTI founder Imran Khan in a recent meeting with him. “A delegation of members of the US Congress who met me did not mention the founder chairman,” the National Assembly speaker, while responding to a question during an interaction with newsmen in the Parliament House, said.

The NA speaker also said that the delegation of US Congressmen also made it clear that they have nothing to do with Pakistan’s internal politics.

Ayaz Sadiq reiterated that the visiting delegation did not comment on Pakistan’s internal political dynamics nor mentioned any political leader and the delegation was very clear in stating that the United States does not interfere in Pakistan’s domestic political affairs.

The NA speaker also expressed displeasure over the opposition’s attitude to politicize issues of national importance and national interests terming the same as a disservice to democratic norms.

He also regretted that during the recent visit of a delegation from the United States Congress, the opposition indulged in unnecessary political maneuvering. “It is unfortunate that even on matters of foreign engagement and parliamentary diplomacy, political point-scoring takes precedence over national interest,” the NA speaker said.

He clarified that members of the opposition, including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Whip Malik Amir Dogar, were formally invited to participate in the meeting with the US delegation. Despite these invitations, the opposition often walked out of the National Assembly session.

The NA speaker said that he had received a special invitation to participate in a high-level conference being convened by the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on the grave situation in Palestine.

He reiterated that he would represent Pakistan’s principled and unambiguous stance on the ME issue at the upcoming conference.

In response to a question on canal issues, Ayaz Sadiq noted that more than 30 members of the National Assembly actively participated in the debate on the issue of canals. He appreciated Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar for giving a briefing on government’s position in a clear and open manner during the session of National Assembly.

He further informed that the Pakistan Peoples Party had submitted a resolution on April 7, while the opposition followed with a resolution on April 10. He said that in a significant move aimed at safeguarding parliamentary rights, production orders were issued for detained MNAs, and Parliament Lodges were designated as sub-jails for them—a facilitative gesture that reflects democratic maturity and contrasts with the practices of past governments.

The NA speaker also underscored that maintaining quorum in the House is primarily the responsibility of the government and also confirmed that the minister for parliamentary affairs has been consistently reminded to ensure quorum is maintained to facilitate the legislative process.

It is worth mentioning here that the NA proceedings faced a lack of quorum on Thursday and Friday last and were adjourned without even taking up the Question-Hour.

The NA speaker reiterated that meaningful dialogue remains the only viable path to resolving national issues. “I have always supported negotiation and engagement across the aisle.” He said parliamentary democracy thrives on debate, not confrontation.

Ayaz Sadiq stressed that the smooth functioning of the National Assembly is a collective responsibility that rests equally on the government and opposition.