NA passes six amendment bills as opposition points out lack of quorum

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Monday passed six amendment bills, while the session was adjourned until Tuesday morning after the House failed to meet the quorum requirement.

The bills passed included the Pakistan Study Centres (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Travel Agencies (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Pakistan Tourist Guides (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Pakistan Hotels and Restaurants (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and Motion Pictures (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

Opposition member Naeema Kishwar’s proposed amendments to the travel agencies, tourist guides and hotels and restaurants bills were rejected by a majority vote.

During the session, opposition member Sohail Sultan pointed out the lack of quorum. Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq ordered the bells to be rung for five minutes to allow members to enter the House. However, the session was subsequently adjourned until 11am on Tuesday.

Earlier, the House witnessed an exchange over parliamentary secretaries answering questions on behalf of ministries other than their own.

Responding to an objection raised by Aalia Kamran, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said a parliamentary secretary could answer questions relating to another ministry. The speaker, however, ruled that a parliamentary secretary could respond only on behalf of the relevant ministry when its designated secretary was present.

PPP lawmaker Shazia Marri asked when the Karachi Port-to-Sukkur motorway would be built. Chaudhry acknowledged delays in the project but said work was progressing and the motorway remained among the government’s priority projects.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain told the House that all urea fertiliser plants were operational and domestic production exceeded national requirements. He said the price of a urea bag did not exceed Rs4,500 and that fertiliser supplies and prices had remained stable for nearly three years.

He added that DAP fertiliser was available in Pakistan for Rs17,000, compared with Rs19,000 internationally, and said farmers were receiving government support.

On LPG prices, State Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik said the supply chain was under severe pressure, with supplies of 900 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas from Qatar disrupted due to the war.

Responding to concerns raised by Aalia Kamran and Naeema Kishwar, Malik said the government would work with the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and provincial administrations to address overcharging and supply issues.

Kamran said LPG was being sold for Rs700 to Rs800 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite a government-set price of Rs240, while Kishwar complained that the commodity was unavailable at the stated price of Rs280 and that gas load-shedding continued.