ISLAMABAD, February 17, 2020: The National Assembly passed three government bills on Monday and adopted a resolution to extend an Ordinance, observes the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during 12th and last sitting of the 19th session:
Members’ Participation
- The National Assembly met for two hours and 49 minutes; however, the proceedings remained suspended for 40 minutes due to prayer break.
- The sitting started two minutes before the scheduled time of 1730 hours. Earlier, the Speaker called sitting of the Assembly at 1730 hours instead of 1600 hours.
- The Speaker chaired the entire sitting.
- The Deputy Speaker was not present.
- The Leaders of the House (Prime Minister) and the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
- As many as 14 (4%) members were present at the outset and 75 (22%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PML-N, BAP and GDA attended the sitting.
- Seven out of 10 minority lawmakers were present.
Output
- Moved by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, the House passed three bills including the Surveying and Mapping Bill, 2019; the Foreign Exchange Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
- A bill – the United Nations (Security Council) (Amendment) Bill, 2020 – was referred to the relevant committee after its introduction in the House.
- The Chair deferred the Joint Maritime Information Organization Bill, 2019.
- Chairman Standing Committee on Interior presented the report of the Committee on the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
- On behalf of the Chairman Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs, a member of the Committee presented report of the Committee on the Tax Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020.
- Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs presented the annual report of the National Economic Council for the Financial Year, 2017-18.
- The House passed a resolution to extend the Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission Ordinance, 2019 for a further period of one hundred and twenty days with effect from February 27, 2020.
- The House did not consider two Calling Attention Notices and a motion of thanks while a motion under Rule 259 was not debated.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up three out of 36 starred questions during the question hour while lawmakers asked five supplementary questions as well.
- The House held general debate on Agricultural policy of the government and three lawmakers spoke on it for 34 minutes.
Order and Institutionalization
- Eleven lawmakers spoke on points of order for 33 minutes. .
- The treasury lawmakers protested in the House for three minutes during point of order raised by a PPPP lawmaker about deaths in Karachi due to inhaling poisonous gas. Their protest was originally held to condemn the death of journalist in Sindh.
- A PPPP lawmaker pointed out the quorum at 2018 hours which was found incomplete upon counting.
- The session was prorogued sine die.
Transparency
- Orders of the Day was available to the legislators, observers and public.
- Attendance of lawmakers is available on the National Assembly’s website.
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