According to the notification, "in pursuance of Article-52 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the National Assembly stands dissolved on the expiration of its term of five years on the 16th day of March, 2013."
---- Country celebrates first ever full term for democratically elected government.
---- The credit for this achievement goes to different power centres.
---- 'There's no threat to democracy,' a confident PM says in farewell address.
A total of 139 bills were passed by the Lower House of the Parliament. Most of them were unanimously passed by the National Assembly. As many as eight joint sittings were held and President Asif Ali Zardari had addressed five joint sessions of the Parliament.
FIRST PRELIMINARY YEAR The first session of the National Assembly was held on March 17, 2008 after holding general election in the country on February 18, 2008. In the first session, Dr Fehmida Mirza was elected as first Speaker of the National Assembly in the Muslim World on March 19, 2008. Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was elected the Prime Minister of Pakistan by the House on March 24, 2008 and unanimously obtained the Vote of Confidence from the House on March 29, 2008.
The first parliamentary year of the National Assembly started on March 17, 2008 and ended on March 16, 2009. During this period, as many as five bills including Finance Bill, 2008 (Budget-2008-09) were passed by the National Assembly. In this period, former President General Pervez Musharraf (Retd) submitted his resignation from his office to the Speaker National Assembly on August 18, 2008 and Asif Ali Zardari was elected 13th President of Pakistan for next five years on September 6, 2008 and took oath on September 9, 2008. Asif Ali Zardari is first President who addressed the joint-sitting of the elected parliament five times.
SECOND PARLIAMENTARY YEAR The Second Parliamentary year of the National Assembly started on March 17, 2009 and ended on March 16, 2010. During this period, as many as 32 bills including Finance Bill, 2009(Budget-2009-2010) were passed by the National Assembly.
President Asif Ali Zardari during his second address to the Joint Session of the Parliament on March 28, 2009 asked the Speaker National Assembly to form a Committee of both Houses for the purpose of proposing amendments in the Constitution in the light of Charter of Democracy (COD). The Speaker National Assembly announced the Constitutional Reforms Committee (CRC) headed by Senator Raza Rabbani on April 29, 2009.
THIRD PARLIAMENTARY YEAR The third Parliamentary year of the National Assembly started on March 17, 2010 and ended on March 16, 2011. During this Period, as many as 31 bills including Finance Bill, 2010 (Budget 2010-11) were passed from the National Assembly. In this period important legislation's "The Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Bill, 2010 and The Constitution (Nineteenth Amendment) Bill, 2010" were unanimously passed by the National Assembly. The historic 18th and 19th Constitutional Amendments were passed by the National Assembly on April 8, December 22, 2010 respectively.
FOURTH PARLIAMENTARY YEAR The fourth Parliamentary year of the National Assembly started on March 17, 2011 and ended on March 16, 2012. During this period, as many as 28 bills including Finance Bill, 2011(Budget 2011-12) and "the Constitution (Twentieth Amendment) Bill, 2012 were passed by the National Assembly.
FIFTH PARLIAMENTARY YEAR Fifth Parliamentary year of the National Assembly started on March 17, 2012 and ended on March 16, 2013. During this period, as many as 39 bills were passed by the Lower house of the Parliament. In last session of the National Assembly, important bills to curb terrorism were passed by the National Assembly. These include: "The Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2013, The Anti-Terrorism (Second Amendment) Bill, 2013 and The National Counter Terrorism Authority Bill, 2013" to strengthen the law and Informant Agencies, to plug the loopholes in existing laws and to eliminate terrorists activities from the country.
Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was disqualified on April 26, 2012 on the Order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on June 19, 2012. Raja Pervez Ashraf was elected the new Prime Minister of Pakistan on June 22, 2012 by the National Assembly and administered oath of the Office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan on same day. In his farewell address to the nation two hours before the dissolution of the National Assembly Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said on Saturday that all avenues leading to forcible occupation of government have been closed and there is no threat to democracy.
The Prime Minister said that democracy had been strengthened in the country, which in turn had empowered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding free and fair election. Raja Pervez Ashraf said that fake votes had been eliminated from voters' lists, adding that no one would now be able to manipulate the elections in the presence of independent media and free judiciary. Pointing out that this was the first time in the country's history that an elected government had completed its tenure, the Prime Minister said that the country would achieve another first when power was transferred to another elected government.
Reminding the people that the PPP had come into power after the assassination of its leader Benazir Bhutto, the Prime Minister said that when his party had come into power the country was facing numerous challenges. The government's policy of reconciliation had strengthened the federation and promoted the politics of consultations. He said at that time, the country was facing a very bad economic situation with foreign exchange reserves almost depleted, inflation had peaked on top of worsening energy crisis.
Highlighting his government's achievements, he said that inflation had been brought down and local bourses had set new records, adding that exports and remittances had increased considerably. He said that the PPP-led coalition government had regularised 300,000 contractual employees and increased the salaries of government employees by 130 percent, provided Rs 1.4 trillion subsidy to the power sector, added 4000-megawatt of electricity to the system and launched Benazir Income Support Programme, providing relief to nearly four million poor families. Recounting the government's foreign policy successes, he said that the government had taken several steps to strengthen the country whether via peaceful nuclear programme or Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.
Thanking all national institutions, he said that they had all contributed towards helping the democratic government in completing its constitutional term. He also lauded the role of the armed forces and law-enforcement agencies in establishing government's writ in terrorism-hit areas, especially Swat. He said that the President relentlessly pursued late Benazir Bhutto's philosophy of reconciliation, adding that he (the president) had voluntarily surrendered his powers to Parliament.
The government, he pointed out, not only amended the Constitution to restore the 1973 Constitution in its original form, but also granted greater financial autonomy to all provinces via the 7th National Finance Commission Award. Additional resources of Rs 1.7 trillion had been transferred to provinces after the NFC Award and the agriculture sector was given priority where support prices of various crops was increased which led to a transfer of Rs 1 trillion to the rural economy.
The Prime Minister said that additional electricity subsidy of Rs 16 billion was given to farmers on agricultural tube-wells. He also pointed out that the leader of the Opposition was made the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee for holding the government accountable. The Prime Minister also mentioned the great damage wrought by floods which in turn badly hit the national economy. He said that the government pursued a foreign policy in line with the aspiration of the nation and tried to have peaceful relations with all countries in the region.