When the National Assembly met during its second year, who was actually running the show? FAFEN’s analysis of presiding time reveals that while Speaker Ayaz Sadiq was a constant presence, the Deputy Speaker ended up spending more total hours in the Chair.

Over 11 sessions and 84 sittings, the House clocked 263 hours and 22 minutes of total sitting time. After subtracting 32 hours for breaks (prayers and quorum delays), the net working hours stood at 230 hours and 27 minutes.

Here’s how that time was divided:

  • Deputy Speaker: Presided for the largest chunk—106 hours and 55 minutes.
  • Speaker Ayaz Sadiq: Presided for 82 hours and 29 minutes.
  • Panel of Chairpersons: Stepped in for 41 hours and 3 minutes when the top two were absent.

The Speaker and Deputy Speaker both attended 60 out of the 84 sittings, accounting for 71% of the time.

Longest Days in the Chair

  • The Speaker had his longest day—4 hours and 49 minutes—during the 21st Session, when the controversial Constitution (Twenty-seventh Amendment) Bill, 2025 was passed.
  • The Deputy Speaker presided over the longest single stretch of 5 hours and 59 minutes during the 17th Budget Session.

Interestingly, a member of the Panel of Chairpersons recorded the single longest presiding duration of the entire year: 7 hours and 29 minutes, also during the budget’s general discussion. This shows that while the top leadership is visible, the House often relies on a broader team to keep proceedings moving.