ISLAMABAD: A new report revealed that only 78 members of the National Assembly (MNAs) attended every sitting during the budget session held from June 5 to 27, 2025. The session saw low attendance, particularly from the treasury side, prompting concerns about the absence of government ministers.
According to the report by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen), the budget session, comprising 13 sittings, witnessed frequent protests over absenteeism. The speaker directed members holding finance-related portfolios to attend, but the finance minister, a senator, attended only nine of the 13 sittings. The minister of state and parliamentary secretary for finance were present at 11 sittings, or 85% of the session.
The economic affairs minister, another senator, did not attend a single sitting during the session, despite the relevance of his portfolio to the discussions. According to the report, 83% of members were present when the Finance Bill was introduced on June 10, but attendance dwindled over the following days, reaching as low as 57% during the third sitting. Attendance peaked at 93% when the Finance Bill was passed.
The report also noted that 235 members, or 75% of the house, missed at least one sitting, with only 79 submitting leave applications. Of these, 46 members sought approval for their entire absence period, while 36 were absent beyond the duration they had requested leave.
Notably, 22 female MNAs attended all sittings, including 19 on reserved seats. All seven minority members attended more than half of the sittings. Among the cabinet members, those in the ministries of parliamentary affairs, public affairs, and other key sectors attended all sittings.
The session’s low attendance raised concerns, with a large number of lawmakers failing to actively participate in crucial budget discussions.
