National Assembly of Pakistan

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National Assembly
Type	Lower House
The Speaker	Dr. Fahmida Mirza, (PPP) since March 19, 2008
Majority Leader	Yousaf Raza Gillani, (PPP) since March 18, 2008
Opposition Leader	Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, (PML Q) since March 19, 2008
Members	342 (272 elected + 70 appointed)
Political groups	Pakistan Peoples Party Pakistan Muslim League (N) Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
Last elections	General Election 2008
Meeting place	Parliament House
Web site	www.na.gov.pk

Pakistan

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Pakistan

Constitution State Acting President    Muhammad Mian Soomro Federal government Prime Minister    Yousaf Raza Gillani Federal Cabinet Legislative Majlis-e-Shoora - Parliament Senate    Chairman of the Senate National Assembly    Speaker    Deputy Speaker Elections Elections in Pakistan * Electoral College of Pakistan Judiciary Supreme Judicial Council Supreme Court    Chief Justice Federal Shariat Court    Chief Justices Islamabad High Court Provincial High Courts District Courts

Political Parties Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan Muslim League (N) Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Pakistan Peoples Party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Minor Parties

Subdivisions Provincial Governors Balochistan N.W.F.P Punjab Sindh Capital Territory Tribal Areas Azad Kashmir Northern Areas

Local Government Districts Cities Union Councils

Issues Foreign relations

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The National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan.

Contents 1 Governance and structure 2 Composition and elections 3 Latest election 3.1 Results of the 2008 General Elections 4 Dissolution 4.1 Article 58 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] 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.

Currently, Dr. Fahmida Mirza is serving as Speaker and Faisal Kareem Kundi as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan.

[edit] Composition and elections

The composition of the National Assembly is specified in Article 51[1] of the Constitution of Pakistan. There are a total of 342 seats in the National Assembly. Of these, 272 are filled by direct elections. In addition, the Pakistani Constitution reserves 10 seats for religious minorities and 60 seats for women, to be filled by proportional representation among parties with more than 5% of the vote. As of 2006, there are 72 women members in the Assembly.

Members of the National Assembly are elected by the people in competitive multi-party elections, to be held at most five years apart. According to Article 62 of the Constitution, candidates must be citizens of Pakistan and not less than eighteen years of age.

[edit] Latest election

[edit] Results of the 2008 General Elections

Parties	Votes	%	Elected seats	Reserved seats (Women)	Reserved seats (Minorities)	Total
Pakistan Peoples Party	10,606,486	30.6%	94	23	4	121
Pakistan Muslim League (N)	6,781,445	19.6%	71	17	3	91
Pakistan Muslim League (Q)	7,989,817	23.0%	42	10	2	54
Muttahida Qaumi Movement	2,507,813	7.4%	19	5	1	25
Awami National Party	700,479	2.0%	10	3	0	13
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) Note: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan and Jamiat Ahle Hadith did not participate.	772,798	2.2%	5	1	0	6
Pakistan Muslim League (F)			4	1	0	5
Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao)	140,707	0.4%	1	0	0	1
National Peoples Party			1	0	0	1
Balochistan National Party (Awami)			1	0	0	1
Independents			18	0	0	18
Total	34,665,978	100%	266	60	10	336
Source: Election Commission of Pakistan, Adam Carr's Electoral Archive

[edit] 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:

[edit] 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.

[edit] See also

• Speaker of National Assembly
• Senate of Pakistan
• Politics of Pakistan
• Prime Minister of Pakistan
• Constitution of Pakistan

[edit] External links

Official

• National Assembly of Pakistan