ISLAMABAD, October 10, 2019: The Provincial Assembly of Balochistan adopted three resolutions and failed to take up any of the questions appearing on its agenda as the relevant ministers did not show up for sitting on Thursday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during second sitting of the 16th session:
Members’ Participation
- The House met for three hour and four minutes, however, the proceedings remained suspended for 37 minutes due to prayer break.
- The sitting started at 1655 hours against the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
- The Deputy Speaker presided over the entire sitting in the absence of Speaker.
- The Leader of the House did not attend the proceedings.
- The Leader of the Opposition attended the entire sitting.
- As many as seven MPAs (11%) were present at the outset and 14 (22%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of BNP-M, PkMAP, BNP and MMAP attended the proceedings.
- All three minority lawmakers were present.
Output
- Moved by a PkMAP lawmaker, the House adopted a resolution to regularize services of levies personnel who were assigned security duties at Habib-Ullah Thermal Power Project. The mover of this resolution spoke on it for eight minutes.
- The House adopted another resolution to ensure gas supply in areas adjacent to proposed Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline infrastructure and devise a formula for sharing revenue with province. As many as five lawmakers spoke on it for 24 minutes. The resolution was sponsored by a PkMAP lawmaker.
- Jointly moved by BNP-M lawmakers, the House adopted another resolution to ensure strict punishment to those involved in acid attacks on women and children and also ban illegal acid sale. Six members expressed their views on it for 27 minutes.
- Another private resolution appearing on agenda was deferred due to absence of its mover.
- The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs moved a motion to change membership of two lawmakers in Standing Committees which was approved by the House.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House did not observe Question Hour due to absence of the concerned ministers.
- A Call Attention Notice (CAN) of a BNP lawmaker was dropped due to his absence.
- Sponsored by a PkMAP lawmaker, the Chair admitted an Adjournment Motion for debate in the next sitting which was about prevailing law and order situation in the province.
Order and Institutionalization
- Fifteen lawmakers spoke on Points of Order consuming an hour and eight minutes of the proceedings.
- The House was adjourned to meet again on October 12, 2019 (Saturday) at 1500 hours.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
- Attendance of the lawmakers was not available to the observers and media.
This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Balochistan Assembly proceedings conducted by Center for Peace and Development (CPD) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted