Only one-fifth MNAs attended 26th NA session

ISLAMABAD: As many as 66 members out of 333 (20 per cent) attended all sittings, while 51 members (15pc) did not attend any sitting, during the 26th session of the National Assembly held between March 30 and April 8.

Prominent among those skipping all six sittings were Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his elder brother Nawaz Sharif, son Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and his sister Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari; sons of Senate chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani, Syed Ali Hussain Gilani and Syed Qasim Gilani; Munawar Ali Talpur and Saba Talpur of the PPP, PML-Q parliamentary leader Chaudhry Salik Hussain and IPP parliamentary leader Abdul Aleem Khan.

BAP parliamentary leader Khalid Hussain Magsi and MWMP parliamentary leader Hameed Hussain attended all six sessions.

According to a report compiled by Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) fourth sitting recorded the highest attendance, with 208 lawmakers present (62pc of the current membership). The third sitting recorded the lowest attendance, with 134 MNAs present (40pc).

As many as 267 MNAs (80pc) missed at least one sitting.

Among cabinet members from the National Assembly, three federal ministers and one state minister attended all sessions of the House, while six ministers — five federal ministers and one minister of state — did not attend any sitting.

The prime minister did not attend any sitting.

Leader of the Opposition Meh­mood Khan Achakzai attended three sittings.

Of the 19 federal ministers scheduled to respond during the Question Hour, only four were present on the day they were required to answer questions.

Of the five ministers required to respond to Calling Attention Notices, four were marked present in one sitting.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2026