ISLAMABAD, September 23, 2016: Starting 51 minutes behind the schedule, the third sitting of the 21st session of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly was adjourned due to lack of quorum on Friday, says Free and Fair Election Network in its Daily Factsheet.
The sitting remained suspended for 26 minutes and had to be adjourned due to the presence of less than 25 percent lawmakers in the House.
The other feature of the Assembly’s proceedings was the walkout staged by the entire opposition for two minutes when the Chair didn’t allow an ANP lawmaker to speak on a police-related issue.
Following are some key observations of the assembly proceedings:
Members’ Participation
- The KP Assembly met for an hour and 51 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1551 hours against the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
- Twenty-nine lawmakers (23%) were present at the start and seven (6%) at the end of the sitting. A maximum of 40 members (32%) were observed to be present at one point of the sitting.
- Deputy Speaker presided over the entire sitting.
- The Chief Minister and the Opposition Leader were not present.
- Parliamentary leaders of JI and PML-N were present.
- Two minority members attended the sitting.
- Fifteen members applied for leave.
Output
- The House did not consider the KP Tuberculosis Notification Bill, 2016 and the KP Faculty of Paramedical and Allied Health Sciences Bill, 2016.
- A report of Standing Committee on Communications and Works Department was not taken up.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up two Calling Attention Notices regarding poor drainage system in Bannu and increase in shops’ fair owned by Auqaf Department.
- A Privilege Motion submitted by a JUI-F lawmaker regarding involvement of police officials in extortion activities in Lakki Marwat was referred to the relevant standing committee.
- The House took up another Privilege Motion of a PTI lawmaker against the highhandedness of police with his constituents. The matter was also referred to the relevant committee for further deliberations.
- All five Starred Questions appearing on the agenda were answered by the relevant departments. In addition, one Supplementary Question was raised by a lawmaker.
Order and Institutionalization
- A PPPP lawmaker pointed out the quorum at 1554 hours but it was found to be complete upon counting.
- Another PPPP lawmaker again pointed out the quorum at 1703 hours but the Chair ignored it.
- Later on, a PPPP female lawmaker pointed out the quorum at 1712 hours following which the Chair ordered the bells to be rung for two minutes. Upon counting, the quorum was found incomplete and the sitting remained suspended for 26 minutes.
- After resumption of the sitting, the PPPP female lawmaker again pointed out the quorum at 1741 hours and the sitting had to be adjourned till Monday.
- The entire opposition staged a walkout for two minutes when the Chair didn’t allow an ANP lawmaker to speak on a police-related issue.
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 KP Assembly proceeding conducted by United Rural Development Organization (URDO) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted