ISLAMABAD: Despite the opposition`s best efforts, the government on Wednesday finally managed to secure the passage of the controversial inquiry commissions bill from the National Assembly.

Both sides of the aisle seemed to have a game-plan: the government was still smarting from the failure of their threeprevious attempts to get the bill passed, while the opposition seemed in no mood to allow the bill through. The session was specially extended beyond Nov 29 to ensure the bill`s approval.

But the government had an ace up their sleeve: National Assembly Spealcer Ayaz Sadiq. Fully capable of guiding proceedings in whichever direction the government wished, the chair slowed down the pace of proceedings by first allowing lawmakers to pay tribute to the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, then taking his time conducting Question Hour.

Conscious of the need to go slow, the speaker took to commenting on questions and reprimanding officials whose departments had not furnished replies to questions raised by legislators.Meanwhile, the house was buzzing with excitement. Pakistan Peoples Party chief whip Aijaz Hussain Jhakrani could be seen strolling handin-hand with his government counterpart Sheikh Aftab Ahmed.

The two men conferred first with theministers and then made their way over to the opposition benches. The duo was joined by Law Minister Zahid Hamid and the three went one-by-one to nearly all opposition lawmakers, no doubt trying to canvass last-minute support for the bill.The excitement in the house could be gauged by the fact that some members were not even in their seats when their names were called out during the Question Hour. Dr Nafisa Shah and Tahira Aurangzeb were elsewhere in the house when their questions came up, but the speal(er who is otherwise a sticlcler for decorum did not seem to mind as this helped while away the time.

The government had to stall; their numbers were swelling, but all too slowly. Ministers such as Shahid Khagan Abbasi sauntered in nonchalantlyjustas the clock struck noon.

By this time, the opposition benches had quietly emptied out. Even though a walkout had not been formally announced, opposition members waitedin the lobbies around the assembly hall while Mr Jhakrani looked on through the doorway.

Before they could get down to the allimportant legislation, Mr Aftab was asked to move an amendment to the rules regarding the Question Hour, while Defence Production Minister Rana Tanveer move d the Shazia Marri-drafted resolution on Fidel Castro`s death.

Ms Marri was the lone member on the opposition benches by this time. Just as the resolution was adopted, Mr Jhakrani and Dr Shah signalled to her and she pointed out quorum.

A count was ordered and everyone waited with bated breath for the result.

In the meantime, government members continued to enter the assembly hall, reinforcing the treasury`s numbers.

Although the first count found that the treasury did indeed have more than the required minimum of 86 lawmakers in the house something that was clearly visible from the press gal1eries, even in the absence of the opposition Ms Marri didn`t buy it and demanded a recount. The recount only confirmed the earlier result, after which the three PPP members resorted to hooting and desk-thumping to disrupt proceedings.

But the speaker wasn`t having any; he quietly ignored the opposition`s grandstanding and forgedahead with the agenda.

First to pass was the Pakistan Commissions of Inquiry Bill 2016, next came an amendment to the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, and finally it was the turn of the Public-Private Partnership Authority Bill 2016.

In between, when Mr Sadiq asked Mr Jhakrani to speak against the government bills, the PPP chief whiplambastedthe`dictatorial` manner in which government business was being `bulldozed` through the house.

He announced a boycott by the opposition and stormed out, but the speaker remained unfazed and returned to the business at hand after asking Kashmir Affairs Minister Barjees Tahir toplacate the opposition.

Mr Tahir reluctantly made his way over to the opposition lo bbies and managed to convince some opposition members to return to the house to pass a resolution condemning the occupation of India-held Kashmir and the situation on the Line of Control. But the irate PPP members, who were already late for their party`s foundation day celebrations in Lahore, had already lef t.

Commissions law The new law was drafted after Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali wrote back to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while refusing to constitute an inquiry commission under the old law which he termed `toothless`. Thebill was introduced in the lower house, quickly cleared by the standing committee concerned and laid before the house for passage.

However, the government was unable to secure its passage despite having overwhelming numerical strength in the lower house on three previous occasions.

The bill aims to strengthen inquiry commissions that will be formed to probe any issue in the future. The new law also makes it mandatory to publish findings of any inquiry held under it.

Under the proposed law, a commission will have the power to form international teams and seek cooperation from foreign countries or agencies to obtain information, documents, evidence and record or issue letters.