Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan

A Member of Parliament or Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan (abbreviated: MNA or MP) is a legislative constituency's representative in the National Assembly of Pakistan (Urdu: ایوانِ زیریں پاکستان‬), the Pakistan Parliament's lower house.[1] On the basis of adult suffrage, National Assembly members are chosen through direct elections. The National Assembly of Pakistan is only allowed to have 342[2] total members of parliament or MNA. This includes 70 seats set aside for women and religious minorities from across Pakistan, and 272 members are directly elected through the election.

Member of National Assembly
Member of Parliament
National Assembly of Pakistan, the meeting place of the members.
since 29 February 2024
StatusActive
AbbreviationMNA, MP
Member ofNational Assembly of Pakistan
Reports toSpeaker
SeatParliament of Pakistan
Term length5 years; renewable
Formation1973
Websitena.gov.pk

Eligibility criteria

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The following requirements must be met in order for someone to be eligible to join the National Assembly of Pakistan;[3]

  • Must be a citizen of Pakistan.
  • Must not be less than 25 years of age.
  • Must not be convicted by the court.
  • Adequate knowledge of Islamic teachings.
  • Must be a sound person.
  • Must be sadiq (truthful) and ameen (trustworthy).
  • Worked for the nation's integrity and ideology of Pakistan.
  • Must be a voter for any parliamentary constituency in Pakistan.[4]

Disqualification grounds

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A person wouldn't be qualified to serve as a member of Pakistan's National Assembly if he/she;[5]

  • Has an unsound mind.
  • Is insolvent.
  • Has ceased to be a citizen of Pakistan.
  • Is so disqualified by any law made by the Pakistani parliament.
  • Is so disqualified on the ground of defection.
  • Has been convicted, among other things, for promoting enmity between different groups.
  • Has been convicted for the offence of bribery.
  • Has been convicted for an offence and sentenced to imprisonment of more than two years.
  • Has been dismissed for corruption[6] or for disloyalty to the state (in the case of a government servant).

Term & conditions

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A member of the National Assembly of Pakistan has a five-year tenure[7] beginning on the day of their appointment.

Responsibilities

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The responsibilities of the members of the National Assembly of Pakistan are;

  • Legislative: To make necessary legislation.
  • Oversight: to ensure that the executive performs its duties satisfactorily.
  • Representation: to speak for the opinions and desires of their constituents in the Pakistani Parliament.
  • Power of the purse: to approve and control the government's proposed budgetary income and expenditures.

Salary, allowances, and entitlements

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Pakistan pays a lump sum including other allowances of Rs.188000 to the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan per month according to the 1974 Act.[8] If the MNA has some extra designations, then the National Assembly pays extra allowances.[9]

Number of constituencies

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Here is a list of how many National Assembly seats there were in each election year starting in 1954.[10]

No. Name Term start Term end Constituencies
1 1st National Assembly of Pakistan 1947 1954 69
2 2nd National Assembly of Pakistan 1955 1958 72
3 3rd National Assembly of Pakistan 1962 1965 156
4 4th National Assembly of Pakistan 1965 1969 156
5 5th National Assembly of Pakistan 1972 1977 313
6 6th National Assembly of Pakistan 1977 1977 216
7 7th National Assembly of Pakistan 1985 1988 237
8 8th National Assembly of Pakistan 1988 1990 237
9 9th National Assembly of Pakistan 1990 1993 237
10 10th National Assembly of Pakistan 1993 1996 237
11 11th National Assembly of Pakistan 1997 1999 237
12 12th National Assembly of Pakistan 2002 2007 342
13 13th National Assembly of Pakistan 2008 2013 342
14 14th National Assembly of Pakistan 2013 2018 342
15 15th National Assembly of Pakistan August 2018 2022 342
16 16th National Assembly of Pakistan February 2024 Current 336

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Assembly of Pakistan". na.gov.pk. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  2. ^ "National Assembly of Pakistan". na.gov.pk. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  3. ^ "National Assembly of Pakistan". na.gov.pk. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Chapter 2: "Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)" of Part III: "The Federation of Pakistan"". www.pakistani.org. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Chapter 2: "Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)" of Part III: "The Federation of Pakistan"". www.pakistani.org. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Imran Khan disqualified from Parliament: what just happened in Pakistan?". The Indian Express. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Chapter 2: "Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)" of Part III: "The Federation of Pakistan"". www.pakistani.org. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  8. ^ Khan, Raza (19 May 2016). "Rs0.5m and up: What salaries and perks are parliamentarians asking for?". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  9. ^ "15th National Assembly witnesses last Presidential address". Pakistan Today. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  10. ^ "ECP – Election Commission of Pakistan". www.ecp.gov.pk. Retrieved 24 October 2022.