ISLAMABAD, September 4, 2012: Starting an hour and 42 minutes behind schedule, the National Assembly met for two hours and 11 minutes during the second sitting of the ongoing 45th session, leaving most of the agenda unaddressed.
As an ambitious agenda was set up for the Private Members’ Day sitting, the National Assembly left 91% of the agenda unaddressed. Twenty-four Points of Order were raised, consuming 65% of the total time. However, none of them attracted the Chair’s formal ruling.
The Political Parties Order (Amendment) Bill 2012 (Insertion of new section 6A and amendment of section 12) calling for facilitation of the parties which are financially weak was taken up, and sent to the respective Standing Committee.
The Prime Minister attended the proceedings for 37 minutes, while the Leader of Opposition was not present. Additionally, none of the parliamentary leaders attended the sitting.
Members’ participation in House proceedings
- The National Assembly met for two hours and 11 minutes.
- The second sitting started at 1142 Hours against the scheduled starting time of 1000 hours. The House proceedings started late by an hour and 42 minutes.
- A Member of Panel of Chairperson chaired the sitting for an hour and 12 minutes while the remaining sitting time was presided over by the Deputy Speaker.
- The Prime Minister attended the sitting for 37 minutes, while the Leader of the Opposition was not present.
- None of the Parliamentary Leaders attended the sitting.
- The Chief Whips of PMLN, PML, ANP and MMAP were present.
- A total of 106 (31%) Members were present at the outset and 90 (26%) Members were there at the end of the sitting.
- Two Members applied for leave.
- All Minority Members were present during the sitting.
Representation and Responsiveness
- Two Calling Attention Notices – inaccurate and wrong predictions of Disaster Management Authority and non-repair of the CDA graveyard service vehicles – were taken up and respond to by the relevant Ministries.
Output
- Four Private Members’ Bills appeared on the Orders of the Day. The Political Parties Order (Amendment) Bill 2012 (Insertion of new section 6A and amendment of section 12) was taken up and sent to the respective Standing Committee. While the remaining three bills – the Charter of Child Rights Bill 2009, the Registration of Hajj / Umrah Bill 2008 and the Abolition of Discretionary Quotas in Housing Schemes Bill 2011 – were not taken up.
Order and institutionalization
- A total of 24 Points of Order were raised, consuming 85 minutes (65%) of the total sitting time. However, none of the Points of Order attracted the Chair’s formal ruling.
- Six Resolutions appearing on the Orders of the Day were not taken.
- Seven Motions under Rule 259 appearing on the agenda were also not taken up.
- A Matter of Public Importance regarding “the energy crises in the country” was not debated by the House.
- There were no instances of protests, boycotts or walkouts during the sitting
Transparency
- Orders of the Day were available to Legislators, observers and others.
- Information on Members’ attendance was unavailable to observers and the public.
The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of National Assembly proceedings conducted by Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), a Member organization of FAFEN.