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 | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Status | Active |
| Abbreviation | MNA, MP |
| Member of | National Assembly of Pakistan |
| Reports to | Speaker |
| Seat | Parliament of Pakistan |
| Term length | 5 years; renewable |
| Formation | 1973 |
| Website | na |
Eligibility criteria
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
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
A member of the National Assembly of Pakistan has a five-year tenure[7] beginning on the day of their appointment.
Responsibilities
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
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
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 |
