By Shams Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: An exchange of remarks enlivened Friday’s National Assembly proceedings during Question Hour when the deputy speaker and Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Sharmila Faruqui questioned the tourism ministry’s classification of Afghan nationals visiting Pakistan as tourists. Mardan MNA Ali Muhammad Khan also traded light-hearted remarks with the chair, adding a touch of political humour to the proceedings.
The sitting, presided over by the deputy speaker, began at 11:30am, about 90 minutes behind schedule.
Responding to a question, Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Kiran read out a written reply stating that Afghan nationals constituted the largest group of tourists visiting Pakistan.
The response prompted questions from the deputy speaker and Ms Faruqui, who asked how people arriving from Afghanistan could be classified as tourists.
The deputy speaker expressed displeasure over the reply, observing that it reflected a lack of seriousness on the part of the ministry concerned.
Responding to a question regarding the interior ministry, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry informed the house that the issuance of e-passports would begin within a month, while the existing machine-readable passport system was being phased out.
In a supplementary question, MNA Naeema Kishwar drew the house’s attention to the closure of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) office in Shergarh, Mardan, saying the shutdown had caused difficulties for local residents.
Dr Chaudhry assured her that the necessary steps would be taken to address the issue.
A political exchange
The proceedings took a lighter turn when Ali Muhammad Khan rose to ask a supplementary question and complained to the deputy speaker that he appeared to be giving preference to members on the treasury benches.
The deputy speaker responded wittily that he expected to see Mr Khan sitting on the treasury benches soon.
Mr Khan was quick to respond, saying he would move to the treasury benches if “Khan Sahib” were made chairman in place of Bilawal.
The exchange drew attention to the political undercurrents in the house, even as members continued to raise constituency-related concerns.
Casual moments in the house
Meanwhile, Bajaur MNA Rehan Zeb was seen chatting with fellow lawmakers and recording a TikTok video with a guest seated in the visitors’ gallery.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan also arrived in the chamber but left shortly afterwards.
The sitting began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, with the reciter reading from Surah Al-Jumu’ah.
Lakki Marwat MNA Sher Afzal Marwat was also seen sitting on the treasury benches alongside Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.
Attendance on the opposition benches remained thin. Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s women lawmakers, including Naeema Kishwar, Shahida Bibi and Alia Kamran, actively participated in Question Hour, raising issues of public concern.
