ISLAMABAD, December 16, 2019: The National Assembly skipped most of its regular agenda on Monday and adopted a resolution to condemn citizenship law of India enacted by its Parliament, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the proceedings during seventh (last) sitting of the 17th session:
Members’ Participation
- The National Assembly met for three hours and 36 minutes, however, the proceedings remained suspended for 19 minutes due to prayer break.
- The sitting started at 1641 hours against the scheduled time of 1600 hours.
- The Deputy Speaker presided over the entire sitting in the absence of Speaker.
- The Leaders of the House and the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
- Sixty-one lawmakers (18%) were present at the outset and 83 (24%) at the adjournment of sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PML-N, ANP, GDA and PPPP attended the sitting.
- Five minority members were present.
Output
- Tabled by the Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, the House unanimously adopted a resolution to condemn citizenship law of India which provides citizenship to non-Muslim religious minorities from neighboring counties. Seventeen lawmakers spoke on it and also on other issues including attack on Army Public School in 2014 and fall of Dhaka for two hours and 11 minutes.
- The Minister of State for Climate Change introduced the Global Change Impact Studies Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which was referred to the relevant committee for consideration.
- Tabled by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, the House passed a motion to elect MNAs Ali Nawaz Awan, Ms. Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak and Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja as members of the Board of Governors of Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Islamabad.
- The House also passed another motion to condone delay in presentation of a report of the Standing Committee on the amendment in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. It was tabled by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.
- The House did not take up 83 percent agenda appearing on `Orders of the Day’.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up seven out of 29 starred questions while lawmakers asked 15 supplementary questions as well.
.Order and Institutionalization
- The Session was prorogued sine die.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.
- Attendance of the 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