PILDAT report highlights stronger Senate lawmaking

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) has reported a significant increase in legislative activity in the Senate during the 2025–26 parliamentary year, while warning that persistent institutional weaknesses continue to undermine the effectiveness of the upper house.

According to PILDAT’s annual review of Senate performance, the House passed a total of 97 bills during the year, comprising 47 government bills and 50 private members’ bills. This represents a substantial increase from the 51 bills enacted during the previous parliamentary year. The report notes a marked revival in private members legislation alongside increased government-sponsored lawmaking.

The Senate also reduced its reliance on presidential ordinances. Only six ordinances were laid before the House during the year, compared with 16 in the previous session, reflecting greater emphasis on parliamentary legislation.

Although the Senate held 64 sittings, one fewer than the previous year’s 65, the total duration of proceedings increased considerably. Senators met for approximately 159 hours, compared with 117 hours in 2024–25, indicating longer debates and heightened legislative activity.

Despite this improvement, the report highlights declining attendance among lawmakers. Average attendance fell to 57.6 per cent, down from 62 per cent a year earlier. While disruptions caused by quorum shortages became less frequent, members’ participation remained inconsistent throughout the parliamentary year.

PILDAT also raised concerns over the performance of parliamentary leadership. The Leader of the House recorded an attendance rate of only 31 per cent, while the office of the Leader of the Opposition remained vacant for five months and 15 days following the removal of Senator Shibli Faraz on 5 August 2025. Senator Raja Nasir Abbas assumed the role on 20 January 2026.

Among individual lawmakers, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights, was the most active participant in debates, speaking for 10 hours and 40 minutes during Senate proceedings. He was followed by Senator Aimal Wali Khan, who spoke for 9 hours and 51 minutes, and Senator Syed Ali Zafar, who contributed 9 hours and 40 minutes. Former opposition leader Senator Shibli Faraz spoke for 8 hours and 24 minutes, while Leader of the House Muhammad Ishaq Dar recorded 6 hours and 41 minutes of speaking time.

One of the defining developments of the parliamentary year was the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which introduced significant changes to the judicial structure, the constitutional interpretation mechanism and matters relating to military command. PILDAT expressed concern that the amendment was passed with exceptional haste, limiting opportunities for detailed parliamentary scrutiny and debate.

The report also identifies a major institutional gap arising from the prolonged absence of representation from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Eleven Senate seats from the province remained vacant for nearly 23 months, from February 2024 to January 2026, because of delays in elections and legal disputes. According to PILDAT, this adversely affected the Senate’s federal character and representative composition.

Further institutional strain emerged after opposition members resigned from Senate standing committees, weakening parliamentary oversight and reducing opportunities for bipartisan cooperation.

On matters of national security, however, the Senate demonstrated political unity. During the Pakistan–India crisis in May 2025, the House unanimously adopted a resolution reflecting cross-party consensus on issues of national importance.

The report also notes a substantial increase in the Senate’s financial allocation. The institution’s budget rose from Rs7.242 billion in 2024–25 to Rs9.055 billion in 2025–26, representing an increase of approximately 25 per cent. Consequently, expenditure per senator also increased, reaching Rs90.55 million.

While acknowledging the Senate’s stronger legislative output and reduced dependence on ordinances, PILDAT concludes that improvements in member attendance, parliamentary oversight, institutional continuity and legislative scrutiny remain essential to strengthening the effectiveness of Pakistan’s upper house.