Low attendance marks latest NA session: FAFEN

ISLAMABAD:A report by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) revealed that only 66 of the 333 members of the National Assembly maintained perfect attendance during the nine sittings of the 27th parliamentary session held from May 11 to May 22, 2026. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif did not attend any of the sittings.

According to the report, 33 lawmakers were absent throughout the entire session, while nearly 80 percent of members missed at least one sitting.

Attendance varied significantly, peaking at 75 percent during the opening sitting with 249 members present and dropping to 49 percent during the fifth sitting, attended by only 164 lawmakers.

The opposition leader attended all nine sittings, contrasting sharply with the prime minister's complete absence. The report also highlighted stronger attendance among female legislators compared to their male counterparts. Of the members who attended every sitting, 36 were women, while women also recorded higher participation rates during both the highest- and lowest-attended sittings.

The National Assembly currently consists of 13 parliamentary parties and 79 independent members. Among major parties, the PML-N's 132-member parliamentary group included 29 lawmakers with full attendance, while 13 members did not attend a single sitting during the session.