The federal government on Monday withdrew an ordinance after the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) staged a walkout from the National Assembly over its alleged promulgation without President Asif Ali Zardari’s assent.
“In terms of Article 89(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President is advised to withdraw the ‘Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026’, as proposed at para 4 of the summary,” read a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Announcing the walkout, PPP MNA Naveed Qamar had claimed that for the first time in “Pakistan’s black legislative history” an ordinance had been promulgated without the approval or signature of the president. “How can you promulgate an ordinance and put it into effect, without getting the president’s approval on it? This has never happened, not even in dictatorships,” he said.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had subsequently summoned a high-level party meeting to discuss the concerns over the ordinance.
Following the walkout, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar took the floor of the House, saying the government was informed the president had assented to 9-10 bills and ordinances pending before him. “Maybe it’s part of that, or it might not be,” he said. “But, let me be very clear on behalf of the government: Article 75 mentions that the bills approved during a joint sitting are deemed to have been assented to after 10 days if [the president] does not give his assent. The deeming clause is invoked after 10 days. We have not notified even those out of respect for the president,” he added.
“I have explained this now, but I will still talk to the relevant quarters and get back to Naveed Qamar,” he maintained.