ISLAMABAD, March 2, 2021: The Sindh Assembly was adjourned on Tuesday without taking up any agenda item except question hour due to PTI lawmakers’ brawl with their ‘disgruntled’ colleagues as well as confrontation with PPPP members over the Senate election voting issue, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are some key observations of the House proceedings during fourth sitting of 18th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Assembly met for an hour and 30 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1205 hours against the scheduled time of 1100 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and 35 minutes while the remaining proceeding was chaired by the Deputy Speaker.
- The Leader of the House was absent.
- The Leader of the Opposition attended the proceedings for 34 minutes.
- Twenty four legislators (14%) were present at the outset and 57 (34%) at the end of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PTI and PPPP attended the proceedings.
- Seven out of eight minority lawmakers were present.
Output
- The House did not consider legislative business, five private motions, four private members’ resolutions, 22 motions for amendments in the Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, an adjournment motion and a privilege motion.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up six out of 18 starred questions. The lawmakers asked 28 supplementary questions as well.
Order and Institutionalization
- The Speaker announced to adjourn the sitting till March 4, 2021 (Thursday) at 1000 hours due to uproar in the House. However, he issued an order later in exercise of powers under Rule 29 of Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, 2013 and changed the date and timings of sitting. The sitting will now be held on March 5, 2021 (Friday) at 1000 hours.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
- The attendance of lawmakers was not available to the observers and media.
This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Sindh Assembly proceeding conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)– a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted