National Assembly

This annual report reviews the performance of 13th National Assembly in the third parliamentary year (March 2010 to March 2011). During this period, 10...

This annual report reviews the performance of 13th National Assembly in the third parliamentary year (March 2010 to March 2011). During this period, 10 regular sessions of the Lower House and two joint sessions of the Parliament were held. However, the report covers only the regular sessions. Marked by the passage of the historical 18th Amendment, the parliamentary year also witnessed improvement in terms of Members' participation in the proceedings, lawmaking, and utilization of session time. The Lower House held more sittings in the third parliamentary year than the second.

Women Members accounted for almost half of the parliamentary agenda conducted during the third parliamentary year of the thirteenth National Assembly, according to parliamentary records and FAFEN’s direct observation of proceedings between March 11, 2010 and March 4, 2011. Women constitute less than one-quarter (23%) of the National Assembly’s current 340 members - 77 female parliamentarians, 60 elected on reserved seats and 17 elected through popular vote. Despite their significant underrepresentation, women Members actively participated in the parliamentary business and remained more assertive and effective as compared to many of their male counterparts in the National Assembly that is headed by the country’s first woman Speaker.

This report is an analysis of the performance of the 13th National Assembly of Pakistan during its second parliamentary year (March 2009 to March 2010) – the last session, however, continued till April 2, 2010. During this period, nine regular sessions of the National Assembly and three joint sessions of the two houses of the Parliament were held. However, the report covers only the regular sessions of the National Assembly, also called the Lower House.

The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) is a nationwide coalition of 35 civil society organizations working to strengthen all forms of democratic accountabilities...

Women members have been more active, assertive and effective voices of citizens than their male counterparts in the National Assembly that is set to complete its Second Parliamentary Year this month, says a Performance Analysis of Women Members of the National Assembly released by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) to mark International Women’s Day.