ISLAMABAD: Official records depict the recent National Assembly budget session as a robust and fiercely contested parliamentary exercise. National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq noted that 232 members participated in the debate over the federal budget for fiscal year 2026-27. Of these, 151 lawmakers from the government benches spoke, while 81 opposition members responded from across the aisle. The total duration of discussions reached 53 hours and 31 minutes.
Government representatives dominated the floor for 34 hours and 33 minutes, whereas opposition members utilized 18 hours and 58 minutes. Notably, the opposition was granted an additional eight hours and 18 minutes beyond their official allocation. However, opposition lawmakers argue that despite their extensive speaking time, their messages failed to reach the public effectively.
Throughout the marathon session, speeches by Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, PTI-backed members, and other opposition figures were largely absent from live broadcasts. The state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) consistently aired government speeches live but either muted or completely omitted opposition remarks. Similarly, the National Assembly’s dedicated channel, NA TV, frequently cut audio during opposition speeches, while the Assembly’s official YouTube stream lost both audio and video feeds when opposition members spoke. Critics described this as an unprecedented digital blackout of opposition voices.
The issue sparked repeated protests within the chamber. Opposition members raised their concerns multiple times and even appealed directly to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, requesting intervention to ensure fair media coverage. Despite these efforts, no opposition speech was fully broadcast during the entire budget session.
The session began tumultuously with a notable disciplinary action on its first day. PTI-backed MNA Iqbal Afridi highlighted a lack of quorum, exposing the government’s difficulty in maintaining attendance. Soon after, allegations emerged accusing Afridi of slapping a police official. Following formal complaints, the Speaker initiated proceedings that led to Afridi’s suspension. The House approved the treasury-backed motion, barring Afridi from attending the remainder of the session and suspending his parliamentary privileges. The opposition condemned the move as excessive and politically motivated retaliation.
Amid the acrimony and walkouts, the session also featured moments of unexpected political cooperation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif twice crossed to opposition benches during a critical sitting, first exchanging greetings with Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. Later, he engaged in a substantive discussion with Achakzai, Barrister Gohar, and former Speaker Asad Qaiser.
During this rare bipartisan interaction, the Prime Minister listened to the opposition’s legislative demands and promptly called Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to the floor to issue immediate instructions. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Adviser to the PM Rana Sanaullah joined the discussion, briefly easing the otherwise polarized atmosphere with genuine political engagement.
These behind-the-scenes talks paved the way for the unanimous approval of a joint resolution praising Pakistan’s recent diplomatic efforts in facilitating the historic Iran-US peace agreement. This marked a rare occasion when government and opposition benches spoke with a unified voice.
As the fiscal session concluded, the official record will show over 53 hours of debate and more than two hundred speeches. Yet, for many opposition members, the session’s true legacy lies not in the quantity of their speeches but in the fact that despite speaking for nearly nineteen hours, their voices were effectively silenced from the public audience.
