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National Assembly
Type
Type	Lower House
Leadership
The Speaker	Dr. Fahmida Mirza, (PPP); since March 18, 2008
Leader of the House	Yousaf Raza Gillani, (PPP); since March 18, 2008
Opposition Leader	Nisar Ali Khan, (PML N); since September 17, 2008
Structure
Members	342 (272 elected + 70 reserved)
Meeting place
	Parliament House
Website
	www.na.gov.pk

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

[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 of Pakistan Peoples Party is serving as Speaker and Faisal Kareem Kundi as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan and Nisar Ali Khan of Pakistan Muslim League (N) is serving as an opposition leader of the house.

[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 Pakistani general election, 2008

Parties	Votes	%	Elected seats	Reserved seats (Women)	Reserved seats (Minorities/Non-Muslims)	Total
Pakistan Peoples Party	10,606,486	30.6%	94	23	4	130
Pakistan Muslim League (N)	6,781,445	19.6%	71	17	3	95
Pakistan Muslim League (Q)	7,989,817	23.0%	42	10	2	55
Muttahida Qaumi Movement	2,507,813	7.4%	19	5	1	26
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.

Member taking part in the Parliamentary Proceedings

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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