ISLAMABAD, August 10, 2020: The National Assembly (NA) did not consider legislative agenda appearing on `Orders of the Day’ and adopted two resolutions to extend as many Ordinances, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in Daily Factsheet on Monday.
Following are key observations of the proceedings during the third sitting of 24th session:
Members’ Participation
- The National Assembly met for three hours and six minutes. However, the proceedings remained suspended for 40 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1612 hours against the scheduled time of 1600 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the proceedings for an hour and 50 minutes while remaining sitting was chaired by the Deputy Speaker.
- The Leaders of the House (Prime Minister) and the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
- Fifty-nine lawmakers (17%) were present at the outset and 64 (19%) at the adjournment of sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PML-N, BAP, PPPP, BNP-M and MMAP attended the sitting.
- Six minority lawmakers were present.
Output
- The House did not consider five government bills appearing on the agenda which were the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Sections 6, 11EE, 11J, 11N, 11O, 11OO, 11Q, 19 and 21EE); the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
- Tabled by the Advisor to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs, the House adopted two resolutions to extend the COVID-19 (Prevention of Smuggling) Ordinance, 2020 and the Financial Institutions (Secured Transactions) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 for a further period of 120 days.
- Tabled by a PML-N lawmaker, the House adopted a supplementary resolution to acknowledge the role of National Assembly in connection with its 73rd anniversary for upholding democratic norms.
- Chairman Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development presented reports of the Committee on the Emigration (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Sections 6, 11EE, 11J, 11N, 11O, 11OO, 11Q, 19 and 21EE).
- Chairman Standing Committee on Interior presented the report of the Committee on the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
- Chairman Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue presented reports of the Committee on the Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
- A report of the Standing Committee on Narcotics Control about the Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was not presented.
Representation and Responsiveness
- Moved by the Chairman Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the House adopted a motion to adopt the reports of PAC from 1985 to 2010.
- The House took up two Calling Attention Notices (CANs) regarding violent attacks on transgender community across the country and proposed increase of Rs. 65 in Pakistan Television license fee. These CANs were responded to by the Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights and the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.
Order and Institutionalization
- Seventeen lawmakers spoke on points of order for an hour and 32 minutes.
- MMAP lawmakers lodged their protest by sitting in the visitors’ gallery rather than on their seats in the House against refusal of the Chair to give them floor in the previous sittings. The proceedings remained suspended for 40 minutes to negotiate with them for return in the House which were successfully conducted.
- A PPPP lawmaker pointed out the quorum at 1916 minutes when the Chair disallowed him to continue his speech on point of order. The quorum was found incomplete and the House was adjourned to meet again on August 11, 2020 (Tuesday) at 1600 hours.
Transparency
- Orders of the Day was available to the legislators, observers and public.
- Attendance of lawmakers was available to the media and observers.
This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the National Assembly proceedings conducted by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Errors and omissions are excepted