The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of Pakistan’s bicameral Parliament, which also consists of the Senate of Pakistan. It convenes in the capital city of Islamabad. It is the lower house of Pakistan’s government and is tasked with legislating and passing laws.
Article 62
The Supreme Court has the authority to review any judgment or order passed by the lower courts. The decision of the Supreme Court is binding on all lower courts in Pakistan. The Supreme Court has the power to dismiss a political candidate. But what about a candidate’s virtue? What about their religious and moral values? Article 62 attempts to measure all of these things.
The Constitution of Pakistan contains numerous moral clauses. These include the requirements for fidelity to Pakistan, morally appreciable social behavior, and religiously inspired behavior. In order to understand what these clauses are all about, we need to understand them better. This will help us understand the meaning of the language used in Article 62 of the National Assembly of Pakistan.
The President is the chief executive of the country. According to the Constitution of Pakistan, the President shall be elected in accordance with law. He must take an oath before the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who shall administer the oath in the form specified in the First Schedule. During his term, he may resign by writing to the Speaker of the National Assembly.
The Governor of a province shall not be a member of the National Assembly. He shall not be a member of the Provincial Assembly. Furthermore, he may not hold a profit-making office in Pakistan. Additionally, he may not be a candidate for election to the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) of Pakistan.
The Supreme Court also declared Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution to be “draconian” during its hearing of a petition filed by the PTI senator Faisal Vawda. This case involves the disqualification of dual nationality under Article 62 of the Constitution.
Functions
The National Assembly of Pakistan has a range of functions. It elects the Prime Minister and also takes a vote of confidence from the Assembly. It also has a number of private members who introduce bills and contribute to the accountability of the government. The Prime Minister must obtain a vote of confidence from the National Assembly within 60 days of taking office.
Members of the National Assembly are elected by the people through multi-party elections, typically five years apart. They must be citizens of Pakistan and at least 25 years of age. The National Assembly is elected for five years and is dissolved only on the advice of the Prime Minister. A majority of seats are reserved for women.
The National Assembly is divided into separate chambers. The upper chamber is the Senate. It is equal in number to the other two houses. There are three hundred forty-two seats in the National Assembly. Women and non-Muslims are represented equally. The National Assembly must meet at least twice a year.
The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan established a number of committees. One of these was the Basic Principles Committee. Its purpose was to formulate the constitution. The Basic Principles Committee constituted three sub-committees and was assigned the task of reporting on the basic principles of the constitution. The committee also set up a special committee, the Talimaat-i-Islamia Committee, composed of scholars to advise on religious issues. This committee submitted its final report in December 1952.
The Finance Committee of the National Assembly has oversight of the country’s finances. It has the authority to enact legislation. It can also investigate allegations of maladministration against government officials, employees and agencies.
Membership
In Pakistan, the National Assembly is elected by people in competitive multi-party elections. Members are elected for a five-year term and are not eligible to serve for more than two terms. They must be a citizen of Pakistan and at least twenty-five years of age. The Prime Minister can dissolve the National Assembly and a new one is elected by the people.
The presiding officer of the National Assembly is the Speaker. He is assisted by the Deputy Speaker. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are usually members of the majority party. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected during the first meeting of the incoming National Assembly. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker take the oath of office before the National Assembly. The oath form is prescribed in the Third Schedule.
The National Assembly’s function is to check and balance the government and ensure that it functions in accordance with the Constitution. It also scrutinizes and controls government expenditures. It also has a special committee called the Public Accounts Committee. The National Assembly also has an upper house, the Senate, which has equal representation from the federating units. These bicameral bodies are responsible for enacting laws for the country.
Disqualifications
Imran Khan’s party has filed a reference before the Supreme Court seeking interpretation of Article 63 (A) of the Constitution, which deals with disqualification of lawmakers for defection. The action is significant as it comes ahead of a no-confidence motion in the national assembly. Several lawmakers from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have pulled out of the coalition, thereby joining the opposition’s ranks.
The Constitution of Pakistan contains numerous articles on disqualifications. Article 63(1) (c) addresses the issue of dual nationality. It states that a person is disqualified if he ceases to be a Pakistani citizen and obtains citizenship of a foreign state. The Supreme Court has ruled on this issue and ruled that people who have dual nationality are disqualified.
The Supreme Court has ruled that Article 63A of the Constitution cannot be interpreted to allow a presidential reference to disqualify a National Assembly member. However, it may interpret the Constitution to support representative democracy. Therefore, the Supreme Court is unlikely to enforce the Party Head’s command to deny defection candidates the right to participate in no-confidence votes. It may, however, throw out the Speaker’s ruling on counting votes. This ruling may even mitigate the disqualification punishment for defection.
Ultimately, disqualifications should be based on evidence. There must be incontrovertible evidence that a person is untrue, dishonest or profligate. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed this principle in many cases. But even when the Supreme Court has ruled in one way, it’s not enough to disqualify a politician.
Disqualifications in the National Assembly of the Pakistani Constitution are quite specific. A candidate must be a citizen of Pakistan, an enrolled voter, and at least 25 years of age. There are also provisions for disqualification of dual nationalities.
Library
The Library of the National Assembly of Pakistan offers a wide range of services and resources. It supports the work of the National Assembly by providing research material and informative reviews. The Library also collaborates with national parliaments and international organizations, including the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation. Members of the National Assembly can request research through a special form submitted to the Head of the Library.
The Library is a modern facility that features microfilming and a computerized cataloging system. It houses a diverse collection of over 60,000 books and periodicals, covering a wide range of subjects. The National Assembly Library also receives a variety of foreign and national periodicals and newspapers. Its staff includes Librarian Naeemuddin Siddiqui, who oversees the library.
The Library houses more than 20,000 books, and its budget is Rs2.6 million. Members determine what items are purchased, so it is not possible to view the library’s entire catalogue. Nevertheless, members are free to browse through the library’s online catalogue. The Library’s collection includes books, journals, periodicals, maps, and electronic resources, which are available for research.
The National Assembly of Pakistan has 34 standing committees, including the Rules of Procedure and Privileges Committee, the House and Library Committee, and the Business Advisory Committee. The National Assembly is elected by the people in multi-party elections that take place every five years. Its members must be citizens of Pakistan and be at least 25 years old.
