Pakistan National Assembly Sets New Legislative Record, Works 231 Hours in Second Parliamentary Year
The National Assembly of Pakistan has set a new record for legislative activity, according to the latest performance review report released by PILDAT, the national institution for democracy and transparency.
The report highlights that the current assembly achieved the highest lawmaking output among all recent assemblies. Reliance on presidential ordinances was minimal, while the assembly worked a total of 231 hours during the second parliamentary year, surpassing the 193 hours recorded in the previous year through extended sessions. Notably, a new law was passed restricting assembly members from keeping assets secret and enhancing public access.
The second parliamentary year of the 16th National Assembly spanned from March 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026. During this period, 84 sessions were convened, compared to 93 sessions in the first year — a 9.7 percent decrease.
Khawaja Asif emerged as the most frequent speaker, while Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Umar Ayub, and Barrister Gohar also delivered record-length speeches.
The office of the opposition leader remained vacant for five months. Quorum was pointed out 19 times during sessions, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended six out of 84 sessions.
The report underscores the assembly’s intensified legislative activity and longer working hours, reflecting an unprecedented level of parliamentary engagement in recent years.
