National Assembly Passes Health University Bill Amid PTI Protests

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Tuesday witnessed noisy protests by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) members during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s rare attendance. Despite the intense sloganeering, the house successfully passed a bill to establish the Nexus International University of Health Emerging Sciences and Technologies in Islamabad.

Key Developments:

1. Protests Overshadow Proceedings:
   • PTI members chanted slogans demanding the release of Imran Khan and judicial probes into the events of May 9 and November 26.
   • Treasury members countered opposition chants, leading to a tense atmosphere throughout the session.
2. Health University Bill Passed:
   • The bill, moved by PML-N MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan, received approval with a 10% quota for underprivileged students, proposed by PPP’s Agha Rafiullah.
   • An amendment by JUI-F’s Alia Kamran to establish university campuses nationwide was rejected.
3. Legislative Highlights:
   • The Qanoon-i-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill 2025, introduced by PPP’s Shazia Marri, was referred to the relevant committee without opposition.
   • Several bills were deferred due to the absence of their movers, including a constitutional amendment to increase Senate seats for minorities.
4. Gender Gap in Voter Lists Narrowing:
   • Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar reported a reduction in the gender gap in voter lists to 7.4% for the 2024 elections, down from 11.8% in 2018.
   • Only 30 of 113 districts now have a gender gap exceeding 10%, with efforts ongoing to further bridge the divide before the 2029 elections.

Prime Minister’s Presence:

Despite the protests, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif remained in the house, engaging with treasury members and ignoring opposition chants. The session concluded with over 60% of the agenda completed in under an hour.

The National Assembly is scheduled to reconvene today (Wednesday) at 2 PM.