ISLAMABAD: Some 41 percent MNAs took oath on Monday for the first time to give the supreme legislative body a fresh look and new ideas for building "Naya Pakistan." As many as 139 newcomers entered Parliament for the first time making a new history.
The country’s 9th Parliament is dominated by new faces after 57 percent legislators from the eighth National Assembly either lost the July 25 elections or even did not contest the polls this time. Some 102 of total 139 new faces become part of the Lower House of Parliament have directly contested elections. Some 37 new parliamentarians were chosen on reserved seats by their parties. Some 47 new entrants (MNAs) came from Punjab, 27 from Sindh, 25 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 12 MNAs represent Balochistan in Parliament.
As many as 67 (20 percent) new entrants in Parliament represent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), 16 from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), 13 MNAs from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), eight from Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), two from Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and a newcomer Hussain Elahi represented Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) in the Lower House of Parliament on Monday.
Prominent newcomers include: MNAs Bilawal Bhutto, Mian Muhammad Somroo, Akhtar Jan Mengal, Shahzain Bugti, Fawad Chaudhry, Zartaj Gul, Ali Amin Gandapur, Pervez Khattak, Asad Qaisar, Rana Sanaullah, Ali Zahid, Mehnaz Akbar, Aslam Bhootani, Asad Mehmood, Ali Zaidi and Faisal Vawda.
Some parliamentarians namely Fakhar Imam and Shahbaz Sharif re-entered National Assembly after the break of 25 long years. Both were part of 1990-1993 Parliament when Mian Nawaz Sharif was prime minister.
Some 79 such ex-MNAs hail from the Punjab, 33 from Sindh, 28 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 14 from Balochistan and one such MNA Tariq Fazl Chaudhry was elected from the federal capital in 2013. Almost 192 (57 percent) ex-parliamentarians failed to represent their constituencies in Parliament (2018-2023).
Some 109 former MNAs belonged to PML-N, according to an investigation conducted by Geo News. About 19 such ex-parliamentarians belonged to the MQM, 14 to PPP, 12 to PTI, 11 to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, 10 independent candidates, four ex-MNAs each belonged to Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakhtunkhawa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), three to Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, two to the National Party and one each from All Pakistan Muslim League, Awami Raj Party, Awami National Party and Qaumi Watan Party who failed to make their way to the Lower House of Parliament this time. As many as 37 such ex-MNAs who either represented their parties on seats reservedfor women and minority communities were not nominated by their parties this time, lost 2018 elections or left their parties after leadership did not nominate them even on reserved seats.
Among known faces who are this time out of Parliament are JUI-F Chief Fazlur Rehman, PkMAP President Mehmood Khan Achakzai, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali, Awais Leghari, ex-premiers Nawaz Sharif and Yusuf Raza Gilani, Javed Hashmi, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, MQM leader Farooq Sattar, QWP chief Aftab Sherpao, Chaudhry Nisar Ali, Talal Chaudhry, Jahangir Tareen, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Daniyal Aziz and JI Ameer Sirajul Haq.
Meanwhile, nearly 43 percent (115 of 272) of the previously directly elected parliamentarians either changed their political loyalties or did not contest or are testing their fate as independents in 2018 general election. Some 54 percent (61 of 115) of those who won 2013 general polls on PML-N ticket either quit the party or contested as independent aspirants or dropped out from the race in this year’s general elections, according to investigation conducted by Geo News based on data obtained from multiple government offices directly dealing with the election preparations. Moreover, 12 percent (14 of 115) directly elected MNAs of previous Parliament either parted their ways with the PPP or not contested at all or decided to run as independents. While, 10 percent, 12 of the 115 directly elected lawmakers of previous Parliament, either left the MQM-P or did not participate in these elections. Only 5 percent of these have bid farewell to the PTI. Over 48 percent (55 of 115) of the directly elected ex-MNAs belonged to Punjab, 25 percent to Sindh, 11 percent (13 of 115) the KP, 80 percent (12 of total 15) to Balochistan and 64 percent (7 out of total 11) either flipped loyalties or did not contest election in the tribal belt.
