No specific legislation on agenda for maiden NA session under new govt today

• Lower House may only see laying down ordinances, presentation of reports of standing committees during today's session.
• Session to be one sided affair despite 22 PTI dissidents claiming to have opposition members' slots.
• Re-composition of standing committees of NA linked to fate of PTI members' resignations.

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) will hold its summer session today (Monday) with no specific legislation on the agenda for the maiden session under the newly formed coalition government, The News reported.

Only ordinances may be laid down or reports of the standing committees — mostly chaired by the ruling coalition parties— may be presented before the Lower House of Parliament in today's session.

Despite the PTI dissidents having a numerical strength of 22 lawmakers who are claiming to have the slots of opposition members, today's session will be a one-sided affair.

Meanwhile, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) has three members in the assembly while PML-Q is divided into two parts, one lead by Moonis Elahi and Hussain Elahi — who side with PTI, and the other including Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Tariq Bashir Cheema, the two PML-Q members who are federal ministers in the coalition government.

The re-composition of the standing committees of the NA is linked to the fate of resignations of PTI members as the process could be started only if a decision is made in regard with the resignations.

The agenda that was released for Monday sitting of the National Assembly includes Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal to lay down the General Statistics (Re-Organization) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022 before the National Assembly.

Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail to lay before the National Assembly the Fiscal and Debt Policy Statement, January, 2022, as required by sections 6 and 7 of the Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Limitation Act, 2005 and the Mid-Year Budget Review Report FY 2021-22, as required by Section 34(1) of the Public Finance Management Act, 2019.

Standing Committee on Communications Chairman Ibadullah Khan will present the report of the Standing Committee on the bill to amend the National Highways Safety Ordinance, 2000 [The National Highways Safety (Amendment) Bill, 2021]. Chairman Standing Committee on Aviation Division Imtiaz Ahmed will present the report of the Standing Committee on the Bill to provide for the establishment of Civil Unmanned Aircraft System Authority for Pakistan [The Civil Unmanned Aircraft System Bill, 2021].

Standing Committee on Federal Education, Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture Chairman Mian Najeeb Ud Din Awaisi to present the report of the Standing Committee on the Bill to establish the Iqbal Academy for promotion of the thought of Allama Iqbal [The Iqbal Academy Pakistan Bill, 2022].

Besides these, two calling attention notices regarding non-increase in the pension of EOBI beneficiaries by the government, one relating to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistani and Human Resources Development and the other is regarding non-payment of stipend to Post Graduate Trainees (FCPS), inducted by the PIMS hospital in January, 2022, relating to Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, are also on the agenda.