ISLAMABAD, September 21, 2017: The ongoing session of the National Assembly was prorogued on Thursday without considering most of the legislative agenda, including the Right of Access to Information Bill, 2017, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the proceedings during ninth and last sitting of the 46th session:
Members’ Participation
- The National Assembly met for three hours while the proceedings remained suspended for 11 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1037 hours against the scheduled time of 1030 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for 53 minutes while a member of the Panel of Chairpersons chaired the rest of the proceedings. The Deputy Speaker was not present.
- The Leader of the House (Prime Minister) did not attend the sitting, as he has gone abroad on an official visit.
- The Leader of the Opposition attended the proceedings for 12 minutes.
- Fifty-one (15%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 11 (3%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of JI, BNP-M and PML-Z attended the sitting.
- Seven minority lawmakers were also present.
Output
- The House did not take up the Right of Access to Information Bill, 2017, the Auditor-General’s (Functions, Powers and Terms and Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Corporate Rehabilitation Bill, 2017.
- Moved by the Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, the House passed the Apprenticeship Bill, 2017.
Representation and Responsiveness
- Nine out of 39 Starred Questions were taken up during the course of proceedings. The lawmakers asked 22 supplementary questions.
- The House took up a Calling Attention Notice on the reports regarding detention of a missing soldier of Frontier Constabulary by Afghan Forces. Another CAN on the closure of internet service in five districts of Balochistan remained unaddressed.
Order and Institutionalization
- The lawmakers raised 14 Points of Order consuming 53 minutes of the proceedings.
- The lawmakers of MQM staged a two-minute walkout against their reservations over National Population and Household Census 2017.
- An AJIP lawmaker walked out for not being allowed to speak on a Point of Order.
- A PPPP lawmaker pointed out quorum at 1244 hours that led to the suspension of the sitting for 11 minutes.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.
- Information on Members’ attendance is available on the National Assembly website.
This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the National Assembly’s proceedings, conducted by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Errors and omissions are excepted