National Assembly of Pakistan
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The National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan.
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Governance and structure
The Speaker of the House presides over the Assembly, and acts as the president of the country if both the President and the Chairman of the Senate are not present. The leader of the largest party in the Assembly often serves as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Composition and elections
There are 345 seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan. Every citizen of Pakistan aged 26 or above is eligible to become a member of the House if he or she wins from his or her electoral ward in an election. Members of the National Assembly are elected by the people in competitive multi-party elections, to be held at most five years apart.
Dissolution
The President of Pakistan may dissolve the Assembly before the end of its regular five-year term, at his own initiative - subject to Supreme Court approval or veto - or at the initiative of the Prime Minister. If dissolved, new elections are conducted for the Assembly. Article 58 of the Constitution of Pakistan deals with the dissolution of the Assembly:
Article 58
- (1) The President shall dissolve the National Assembly if so advised by the Prime Minister; and the National Assembly shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the Prime Minister has so advised.
- (2) Notwithstanding anything contained in clause (2) of Article 48, the President may also dissolve the National Assembly in his discretion where, in his opinion,:
- (a) a vote of no-confidence having been passed against the Prime Minister, no other member of the National Assembly is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the National Assembly in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution as ascertained in a session of the National Assembly summoned for the purpose; or
- (b) a situation has arisen in which the Government of the Federation cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and an appeal to the electorate is necessary.
- (3) The President in case of dissolution of the National Assembly under paragraph (b) of clause (2) shall, within fifteen days of the dissolution, refer the matter to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court shall decide the reference within thirty days, whose decision shall be final.
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External links
National Assembly of Pakistan: http://www.na.gov.pk