Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq has said that he has formally written to the government and the opposition, inviting nomination papers for the parliamentary committee on the appointment of members of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The Speaker National Assembly said this while responding to various points raised by Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan during the proceedings of the House. He said that the parliamentary committee will be formed after the nominations are received.
Responding to Omar Ayub’s remarks, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said that it is a principled decision that no point of order will be allowed during the Question Hour, we are strictly following it and will continue to follow it.
Earlier, speaking on a point of order, the opposition leader questioned the performance of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SEFC) and sought details of the salaries, qualifications and output of those working with the SIFC and the investments brought to Pakistan by the council.
He said that the current government has declared the National Assembly unnecessary, and complained that no answers were given to his questions regarding the SIFC.
Omar Ayub said that the government has extended the tenure of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, he should have been prosecuted for violating the constitution, the same is the case with two members of the Election Commission, who had completed their constitutional term.
The opposition leader recalled that he had written a letter to the speaker demanding the formation of a parliamentary committee to appoint a new Chief Election Commissioner and ECP members. He said that the country cannot progress until there is an independent Election Commission and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
He alleged that the previous Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had interfered in the February 8 elections to stop the use of EVMs, as their use would have made the formation of a ‘Form 47’ government impossible. He claimed that the agenda of the House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights was changed under the influence of some powerful outsiders, and the National Assembly staff said they were forced to.
Umar Ayub said that the judges of the Islamabad High Court had also written letters about the interference of intelligence agency officers in judicial matters. He protested strongly before the chair for repeatedly not giving him the opportunity to speak in the House against parliamentary traditions.
He expressed regret that political opponents are being subjected to the worst violence, Punjab Police raided the house of PTI Member of National Assembly Aniqa Bhatti, arrested her brother, and her family’s land is still under police control.
He said that Punjab Police also raided the houses of PTI MNAs including Ahmed Chatha, Mubeen Jatt and Usama Mela, vandalized and destroyed their houses, but the same police cannot face the dacoits of Kachha.
The opposition leader also alleged that PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been convicted in the fake Tosha Khana case.
Omar Ayub said that in the current circumstances, no talks with the government are possible. The IMF delegation, which is currently in Pakistan, also wants to know whether there is rule of law in the country. He also rejected the government’s claims of reducing inflation, saying that the rulers will have to face the wrath of the people.
Salary hike
A few days after the increase in the salaries of members of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament on Tuesday passed the Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill 2025 with a majority vote.
The Finance Committee of the National Assembly, headed by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, had approved the increase in the salaries of members of the lower house on January 26, after which the salaries of the members were increased from Rs 218,000 to Rs 519,000.
The bill, which was passed with a minor amendment on Tuesday, seeks to empower the Finance Committees of both houses of parliament to determine the salaries of members of parliament.
The bill was introduced by Romina Khurshid Alam, and Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar did not oppose the proposed law. The bill has already been passed by the Senate, but after the amendment, it will now be sent back to the Senate for approval.
Despite their political animosity, members of both the government and opposition benches demonstrated unusual unity on the issue of salary increases and other benefits during a recent meeting of the National Assembly’s Finance Committee.
