ISLAMABAD, January 28, 2014: The Balochistan Assembly passed three bills and adopted two resolutions unanimously during the 7th sitting of its 7th session on Tuesday, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet based on direct observation of the proceedings.
The bills passed included Balochistan Terrorism Victims and their Rehabilitation Bill 2014, Compulsory Education Bill and Balochistan Food Authority Bill, 2014. Balochistan Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was also introduced in the House.
Two other bills comprising Balochistan Domestic Violence (Prevention) Bill 2014 and Sardar Bhadur Khan Women University Bill 2014 were deferred and likely to be tabled in any of the next two sittings after necessary rectification.
Jointly tabled by five legislators of PkMAP, the House adopted a resolution demanding of the federal government to pay international air service charges (airspace royalty) to the province. The House also adopted another resolution, jointly tabled by seven PML-N and three PkMAP legislators, calling upon the government to set up Agricultural University in any of the three districts, including Sohbatpur, Naseerabad and Jaffarabad.
The opposition members, who boycotted the last sitting, accusing the government of resorting to nepotism in transfer-posting policies, returned to the House 57 minutes after the start of the proceedings.
None of the Starred Questions (requiring oral as well as written replies) appearing on the agenda was taken up, as the relevant ministers as well as the legislators, who had asked the questions, were not present in the House.
As many as 37 MPAs were present at the outset, while 25 were there at the adjournment of the sitting. The Chief Minister attended the sitting for an hour and 13 minutes while the Leader of the Opposition was present for two hours and 21 minutes.
Following are some key observations of the proceedings:
Members’ Participation in House Proceedings
- Balochistan Assembly met for three hours and 18 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1147 hrs against the scheduled time of 1100 hrs, witnessing a delay of 47 minutes.
- Thirty-seven members were present at the outset while 25 were there at the adjournment of the sitting.
- The Speaker chaired the entire sitting.
- The Chief Minister attended the sitting for an hour and 13 minutes while the Leader of the Opposition was present for two hours and 21 minutes.
- The parliamentary leaders of NP, PkMAP, and JUI-F were present.
- Two members applied for leave.
- Two minority members were present.
Output
- · The House passed three bills, including Balochistan Terrorism Victims and their Rehabilitation Bill 2014, Compulsory Education Bill, Balochistan Food Authority Bill, 2014. Two other bills, consisting of Balochistan Domestic Violence (Prevention) Bill 2014 and Sardar Bhadur Khan Women University Bill 2014 were deferred until February 1, 2014.
- The House adopted two resolutions demanding of the federal government to pay international air service charges (airspace royalty) to the province and set up Agricultural University in any of the three districts, including Sohbatpur, Naseerabad and Jaffarabad.
- Balochistan Sea Fisheries Amendment Bill, 2014 was also introduced in the House.
Representation and Responsiveness
- None of the Starred Questions (requiring oral as well as written replies) appearing on the agenda was taken up, as the relevant ministers and the lawmakers, who asked the questions, were absent from the House.
Order and Institutionalization
- Lawmakers spoke on eight points of order, consuming 26 minutes of the proceedings.
- National Party’s legislator on a point of order raised the issue of discovery of mass graves in Khuzdar.
- The opposition members ended their boycott and joined the sitting.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
- Information on legislators’ attendance was not available to the observers and the public.
The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of Balochistan Assembly proceedings conducted by Center for Peace and Development (CPD), a Member organization of FAFEN.