32 MNAs did not participate in final voting

ISLAMABAD: It was simply an easy walkover for the government in the National Assembly on Tuesday because as many as 25 of 32 members from the opposition benches remained absent from the voting process.

During the course of proceedings, it was witnessed that the government did not face any resistance from the united opposition political parties which did not challenge any move from the government on the current budget affairs.

Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif did not attend the session. Khawaja Saad Rafique, Usman Ibrahim, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Nawab Talpur and many others also did not show up. MNA Abdul Akbar Chitrali of the Jamaat-i-Islami, MNAs Najeeb Uddin Owaisi, Abid Raza were also absent. Seven members from treasury benches also did not appear in the National Assembly.

MNA Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was also not over there. Even on Tuesday, representatives from opposition benches did not challenge the voice counting in the house as they knew they had not enough votes. No challenge came from opposition at all during the budget session except Shehbaz Sharif was stopped from doing a speech by MNAs from treasury benches at one stage in the start of budget session soon after the Finance Bill was presented by Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen on June 11, 2021.

The government also got plain sailing on the floor after it passed 128 demands worth some Rs4 trillion and not a single vote-count called by leaders of opposition parties during this session. Opposition parties collectively moved some 1,432 cut motions but showed no resistance and competition while debating them. Some 600 cut motions and 120 demands were moved by the PMLN followed by the PPP which moved almost equal number of cut motions and gave proposals to the house on this budget.

As many as 240 of the total 342 MNAs consumed some 54 hours to have their speeches on the Finance Bill 2021-22. Members from the opposition benches got over 28 hours for their speeches.

Three important speeches were delivered by the Finance Minister himself while MNAs Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Khurshid Shah, Naveed Qamar, Rao Ajmal, Dr Nafisa Shah, Khurram Dastgir etc also delivered speeches during the course of the budget session. Shahbaz Sharif consumed some three hours for his speech while 102 MNAs did not deliver their speeches on budget, including MNA Khawaja Asif of the PMLN.

Not less than four days shall be allotted for the general discussion on the budget, according to the Rule 187 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in National Assembly 2007.

The Lower House of the Parliament continued debate on the Finance Bill, 2021 for 10 days where the NA Session could not initiate a debate for three consecutive days (June 14 to June 16, 2021) due to ruckus in the house and a tussle between the treasury and the opposition benches.