ISLAMABAD, June 29, 2020: The Budget Session of Sindh Assembly concluded here on Monday and the last sitting transacted entire agenda appearing on `Orders of the Day’, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during tenth (last) sitting of the 10th session:
Members’ Participation
- The House met for four hours and 20 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1350 hours against the scheduled time of 1200 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the proceedings for three hours and 20 minutes while rest of the sitting was chaired by Deputy Speaker.
- The Leaders of the House attended the proceedings for 49 minutes and the Opposition Leader attended the sitting for three hours and 28 minutes.
- As many as 33 MPAs (20%) were present at the outset and 34 (20%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
- The Parliamentary leaders of PPPP, GDA, MMA, TLP and PTI attended the sitting.
- As many as five out of nine minority lawmakers were also present.
Output
- The House passed the Stamp (Sindh Amendment) Bill, 2020 after presentation of the report of the Standing Committee on Law & Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights on it.
- Minister for Parliamentary Affairs introduced the Sindh Teaching Hospitals (Establishment of Management Board) Bill, 2020.
- The Speaker announced the assent of the Governor to the six bills including the Agricultural Produce Markets (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Provincial Motor vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Sindh Prohibition of Preparation, Manufacturing, Storage, Sale and Use of Gutka and Manpuri Bill, 2019; the Coastal Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Sindh Women Agricultural Workers’ Bill, 2019 and the Sindh Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Bill, 2019.
- Speaker announced that the Establishment of the Office of the Ombudsman for the Province of Sindh (Amendment) Bill, 2020 deemed to have been assented by the Governor, as contemplated in Clause (3) of Article 116 of the Constitution.
- Minister for Parliamentary Affairs laid five Audit Reports of various departments and on the accounts of Union Councils of Sindh.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up all five starred questions while lawmakers also asked five supplementary questions.
- The Chair admitted an adjournment motion for debate which was regarding the decision of Economic Coordination Committee regarding retrenchment of employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills.
- Ten lawmakers discussed an adjournment motion regarding locust attack for two hours and 31 minutes.
Order and Institutionalization
- The session was Prorogued sine die
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.
- The attendance of lawmakers was available to the media and observers.
This Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of the Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted