ISLAMABAD, May 20, 2016: Starting two hours and 13 minutes behind the scheduled time, the 7th (last) sitting of 28th session of Balochistan Assembly adopted three resolutions amid low attendance of lawmakers on Friday, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).
Some key observations are as follows:
Members’ Participation in House Proceedings
- The Balochistan Assembly met for two hours and 24 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1813 hours against scheduled time of 1600 hours.
- Twenty (31%) lawmakers were present at start and eight (12%) at the time of adjournment of sitting.
- The Speaker chaired the entire sitting.
- The post of Deputy Speaker is lying vacant.
- The Chief Minister and the Opposition Leader were absent.
- Parliamentary leaders of PkMAP, ANP and PML were present.
- One minority member attended the sitting.
- Four members applied for leave.
Output
- The House adopted three resolutions to connect Balochistan with Punjab through shortest route of M-8 motorway, install TV boosters in remote areas and appoint female photographers at NADRA centers in the province.
- Two other resolutions on the agenda were not considered by the House which were about resuming President and Prime Minister Scholarship programs for poor students and enhancing quota of students from Balochitan in educational institutions of Punjab.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House held general discussion on a commenced motion regarding development of education in the province. Two MPs including Minister for Education took part in the debate consuming 35 minutes of the proceeding.
- The House did not take up seven starred questions appearing on the agenda due to absence of their movers.
Order and Institutionalization
- Members spoke on seventeen Points of Order consuming 82 minutes of the proceeding.
- The opposition parties walked out of the House at 1850 hours on the issue of corruption in the province and did not return till the adjournment of sitting.
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 proceeding conducted by Center for Peace and Development (CPD) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.