Explain the composition of the
Parliament of Pakistan and discuss membership, function and power of the
National Assembly?
Composition of Parliament
According to
section 50 of the constitution, there shall be a Parliament of Pakistan
consisting of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the
National Assembly and the senate.
Explanation
The constitution of 1973 by providing bi-cameral legislature has met a long
standing demand of the people of the small Provinces. Article 50 proclaims that
there shall be a Parliament consisting of the President and two houses to be
known as the National Assembly and the Senate.
The
national legislature of Pakistan consists of the National Assembly, the senate
and the President. In the matter of enactment of law all of them are to act
together, each bring complimentary to the other.
Membership
The National
Assembly consist of 332 members to the Senate 87 members. The national assembly
is to be elected on the basis of adult franchise by direct, free and secret
vote.
Composition of National Assembly
The National
Assembly presently consist of 332 members to be elected on the basis of adult
franchise by direct free and secret vote. The seats in the national assembly
have been allocated to each Province, the federally administered tribal areas
and federal capital on the basis of population.
Qualification
of voter – A person is entitled to vote if –
(1). He is a citizen of Pakistan,
(2). He is not less than 18 years of age,
(3). His name appears on the electoral roll and,
(4). He is not declared by a competent
court to be unsound mind.
Duration – The term of
the National Assembly is 5 years to be counted from the day of its first
meeting, after the expiry of which period it will automatically stand
dissolved, unless sooner dissolved under Article 58 of the Constitution.
Function and powers
The National
Assembly is competent to pass laws on the matters relating to part-I of the
federal legislative list. It may also pass laws with regard to matters in
part-II of the federal legislative list or the concurrent legislative list.
Besides the National Assembly has the power of controlling the finances of the
federation. The budget and all proposals for expenditure or taxation are to be
submitted to the National Assembly. But certain items of expenditure such as
the salaries ad allowance of the President, Judges of the Supreme Court, the
Chief election Commissioner and the attorney general are not to be submitted
for vote in the National Assembly.
Power to control executive
The National
Assembly has also the power to control the Executive. The Ministers are usually
to be chosen from the members of the National Assembly and are the Government
of the country.
Money bill
A money bill
can only originate in the National Assembly and after it has been passed by it,
it is not required to be transmitted to the senate, but is to be presented to
the President for his assent.
0 comments:
Post a Comment