Parliament of Pakistan

Parliament of Pakistan
Name	Parliament of Pakistan
Background color	#006600
Text color	white
Legislature	Bicameral
Houses	Senate (Upper house), National Assembly (Lower house)
Foundation	1973 (under the 1973 Constitution)
Leader1 type	Chairman of the Senate
Leader1	Sadiq Sanjrani
Election1	12 March 2018
Leader2 type	Speaker of the National Assembly
Leader2	Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
Election2	16 April 2022
Members	446, 100 Senators, 346 Members of the National Assembly
House1	Senate
House2	National Assembly
Meeting place	Parliament House, Islamabad
Website	www.senate.gov.pk www.na.gov.pk

Parliament of Pakistan. The supreme legislative body of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, it is a bicameral legislature established under the 1973 Constitution. It consists of the upper house, the Senate, and the lower house, the National Assembly, which together represent the federation's provinces and territories. The Parliament convenes at the Parliament House in the capital, Islamabad, and holds supreme authority to make laws for the country as specified in the Federal Legislative List.

History

The institution traces its origins to the Constituent Assembly formed after the independence of Pakistan in 1947, which also served as the first parliament. The 1956 Constitution formally established a unicameral legislature, which was later altered by the 1962 Constitution under President Ayub Khan. The current bicameral system was inaugurated with the enactment of the 1973 Constitution under the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Its history has been marked by periods of suspension under martial law, notably during the regimes of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf, with the Eighteenth Amendment in 2010 significantly restoring parliamentary sovereignty and federalism.

Structure and composition

The Parliament comprises two houses: the Senate and the National Assembly. The Senate has 100 members elected for six-year terms by the provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the Assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, ensuring equal provincial representation. The National Assembly consists of 346 members, with 272 directly elected from constituencies across the country, 60 seats reserved for women, and 10 for non-Muslim minorities, all serving five-year terms unless dissolved earlier. The President of Pakistan is an integral part of Parliament but does not sit in either house.

Powers and functions

Parliament holds extensive powers, including the exclusive authority to legislate on matters in the Federal Legislative List and concurrent powers with provincial assemblies on other subjects. It exercises control over national finance through the approval of the federal budget and monetary bills. Crucially, it holds the power to amend the Constitution, declare war, and ratify significant international treaties and agreements. The National Assembly possesses the exclusive power to vote on a Money bill and to pass a vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister.

Legislative procedure

Most legislation can originate in either house, but Money bills must be introduced in the National Assembly. A bill passes through readings, committee review—often by standing committees like the Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue, and Economic Affairs—and debate in the house of origin before being transmitted to the other house. If the second house passes it without amendment, it is presented to the President of Pakistan for assent. Disagreements between the houses are resolved through a joint sitting summoned by the President, where a simple majority decides the outcome, a mechanism notably used for the Eighteenth Amendment.

Sessions and committees

Parliament meets for at least 130 days in a year across three sessions: the Budget session, the Autumn session, and the Spring session. The Speaker and the Chairman of the Senate preside over their respective houses and regulate procedure. Much of the detailed work is conducted through a system of standing committees, such as the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence, which scrutinize legislation, oversee government departments, and hold public hearings. Special committees can be formed for specific purposes, like the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.

Relationship with the government

The federal government is formed from and responsible to Parliament, specifically the National Assembly. The Prime Minister, typically the leader of the majority party or coalition, and the Cabinet are members of Parliament. The executive is accountable to the legislature through mechanisms like Question Hour, debates on the President's Address, and the aforementioned no-confidence motion. The Senate, as a continuous body not subject to dissolution, provides stability and a check on the potentially transient majority in the National Assembly.

Current political landscape

Following the 2024 general election, the National Assembly is led by a coalition government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), in alliance with the Pakistan Peoples Party and other parties. The opposition is led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, whose members have faced significant legal challenges. In the Senate, the balance of power is more fragmented, with no single party holding a majority, necessitating cross-party cooperation for legislation. Key contemporary issues before Parliament include managing an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, addressing economic instability, and navigating Pakistan's foreign relations with countries like China, the United States, and India.