NA speaker summons parliamentary leaders' meeting to discuss budget session

• Meeting to discuss topics of standing committee’s chairmanship.
• Administration, its allies to also make proposal.
• Govt intends to present budget on June 7.

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has convened a crucial meeting on Monday (tomorrow) to decide the parliamentary calendar of the lower house including the budget session and allotment of days for discussion on vote of thanks on the presidential speech, reported The News on Sunday.

The meeting would be attended by parliamentary leaders, chief whip of the parliamentary parties among others.

Minister for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazeer Tarar and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Chief Whip of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, Chief Whip of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani, whip of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Aminul Haq, Noor Alam Khan from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Gul Asghar Khan from Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and Khalid Hussain Magsi from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) have been invited to attend the forum.

The last meeting of the government and opposition representatives with the NA speaker in April had decided to commence a discussion and allotment of days for discussion on vote of thanks over presidential address to the joint sitting of the parliament from May 13.

The ultimate permission, though, would be granted during the meeting on Monday.

Sources said the opposition must voice its opinion over the chairmanship of the standing committees, as the topic of standing committee’s establishment and chairmanship would also be covered during the meeting.

Regarding the National Assembly's standing committee chairmanship, the administration and its allies will also make a proposal.

Sources claimed that during the last meeting, it was resolved to start a discussion on the motion of thanks on May 13 and that a tentative timetable was established, indicating that five days would be allotted for debate. Duration of each sitting will be five hours, 10 minutes will be allotted to members from all parties; however, the parliamentary leaders will be given more than 10 minutes.

On the first two days, one member from the opposition side and one from the government would be allowed to speak on the motion of thanks. From the third day, two members from the government side and one member from the opposition side would be allowed to speak.

Sources said the National Assembly Secretariat has formulated a tentative schedule for the budget session, likely to be held from June 6 to 28. The government intends to present the budget for fiscal year 2024-25 on June 7, but the final decision will be announced by the government in the National Assembly. According to the tentative schedule, the budget sitting would also be held on Saturday.

In the tentative schedule for the budget session, it was proposed that there would be a six-day break for Eid ul Adha; and there should be no question hour during the budget session. Winding up of general discussion on budget would be on June 21 and discussion on the charged expenditure would be held on June 22, cut motions will be taken up from June 24 to 25, consideration and passage of finance bill will be on June 26 and supplementary grants will be taken up on June 27.