NA to decide on vacating Sheikh Waqas Akram’s seat

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly is set to decide on vacating the seat of opposition lawmaker Sheikh Waqas Akram during its session scheduled for today (Wednesday), ARY News reported.

As per details, the NA session is scheduled to take place with Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in the chair at 11am today.

According to the 16-point agenda issued by the NA Secretariat, the motion to declare Sheikh Waqas Akram’s seat vacant is included and will be moved by government member Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar.

Upon approval by the House, his membership will be formally terminated.

During a recent session, NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq highlighted that Sheikh Waqas Akram had missed 40 consecutive sittings without granted leave a violation that could result in his seat being declared vacant under parliamentary rules.

Responding to the warning, PTI MNA Malik Aamir Dogar accused the government of selectively targeting PTI lawmakers. He argued that there was no precedent for removing an MNA solely on the basis of leave-related technicalities and claimed Sheikh Waqas had submitted leave applications to the Speaker’s office.

Today’s sitting will also feature key legislative business, including the Easy Business Bill 2025, the National School of Public Policy Bill 2025, the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Petroleum (Amendment) Bill 2025.

Additionally, attention notices are expected on the government’s silence regarding the U.S. President’s remarks on oil reserves, as well as overcharging by private hospitals and laboratories in Islamabad.