ISLAMABAD, March 24, 2018: The Balochistan Assembly adopted four resolutions on Saturday including a resolution recommending the federal parliament to increase the National Assembly (NA) and Provincial Assembly (PA) seats for the province, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the proceedings during the fifth sitting of the Assembly’s 50th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Balochistan Assembly met for three hours and 47 minutes; however, the proceedings remained suspended for 18 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1551 hours against the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
- The Speaker chaired the sitting for two hours and seven minutes while a member of the Panel of Chairpersons presided over the rest of the proceedings.
- The Chief Minister attended the sitting for 54 minutes.
- The Leader of the Opposition attended the entire sitting.
- As many as 26 lawmakers (40%) were present at the outset and 11 (17%) at the adjournment of sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PkMAP, MWM, JUI-F and PML were present during the proceedings.
- As many as two minority members attended the sitting.
- As many as six lawmakers applied for leave.
Output
- The House unanimously adopted a resolution asking the federal parliament to amend the Constitution in order to provide additional 24 general seats and five women seats in the National Assembly, 20 general seats, five women seats and one minority seat in the Provincial Assembly for Balochistan. As many as 14 lawmakers spoke on the resolution for 35 minutes.
- The House adopted a resolution recommending the federal government through the provincial government that the Mari Gas Company was directed to provide natural gas to locals of Zarghon Ghar area where gas wells were situated. As many as four lawmakers spoke on the resolution for 52 minutes.
- Another resolution recommended the government to take necessary steps for early installation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the province. As many as five lawmakers spoke on the resolution for 34 minutes.
- The House also adopted a resolution recommending the government to take necessary steps for activation of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NVTTC). As many as four lawmakers spoke on the resolution for 11 minutes.
- The Provincial Minister for Home Affairs made a government assurance on a resolution regarding time planning for wheat purchase. Following the assurance, the concerned lawmaker withdrew the resolution.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House held a discussion on an Adjournment Motion regarding registration of police cases against speakers at a public rally arranged by Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement in Quetta. As many as seven lawmakers participated in the discussion consuming 13 minutes of the proceedings.
- An NP lawmaker withdrew his AM on government assurance.
Order and Institutionalization
- The lawmakers spoke on nine Points of Order consuming 21 minutes of the proceedings.
- A PkMAP lawmaker pointed out the quorum at 1800 hours that led to the suspension of the proceedings for 18 minutes.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
- Attendance of Members was not made public.
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.