Khawaja Asif Leads National Assembly Speaking Time in Second Parliamentary Year

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif emerged as the most vocal member of the National Assembly during the second parliamentary year of the 16th National Assembly, according to a survey conducted by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat). The survey found that Mr Asif spoke for a total of five hours and 59 minutes, the highest cumulative speaking time among all members of the House.

Following Mr Asif, Omar Ayub Khan recorded the second highest speaking time with five hours and six minutes. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari spoke for four hours and 52 minutes, while Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry contributed four hours and 20 minutes. Barrister Gohar Khan rounded out the top five with three hours and 20 minutes of speaking time. Together, these five members accounted for a significant portion of the total speaking time in the Assembly.

The Pildat survey also highlighted other aspects of parliamentary activity. During the second year, the Assembly passed 59 bills, including the 27th Amendment and the Elections Bill. The number of ordinances issued declined to eight, compared to 16 in the previous year, suggesting a reduced reliance on executive ordinances.

Financial data from the survey indicated that the average budget per sitting of the National Assembly increased to Rs193.93 million, up from Rs136.96 million in the previous year.

Attendance by key officials was also noted in the report. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended only six out of 84 sittings during the year, according to the survey findings.

These findings provide insight into the legislative activity and participation patterns within the National Assembly during its second parliamentary year.