ISLAMABAD, November 13, 2012: The second sitting of the 47th session of the National Assembly unanimously passed the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2012 on Tuesday. The bill has already been passed by Senate.
The Lower House continued to witness low attendance of Members as only 54 were present at start and 40 at the end of the sitting.
Five bills introduced in the House were sent to the relevant Standing Committees.
MQM legislators walked out of the House at 1320 hours over the target killings in Karachi and did not attend the rest of the sitting.
Fourteen Points of Order consumed 65 minutes of the sitting time. None of the Points of Order raised attracted the Chair’s formal ruling. Unless the Chair gives a formal ruling on a Point of Order, it does not lead to any assembly output.
The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
Out of two calling attention notices on the agenda, the House took up the one regarding insufficient provision of potable water in Islamabad.
Following are some key observations of the parliamentary business:
Members’ Participation in House Proceedings
- The National Assembly met for two hours.
- The sitting started at 11:39 am against the scheduled starting time of 11am witnessing 39 minutes delay.
- The Deputy Speaker chaired the sitting for 46 minutes while the remaining time was presided over by a member of panel of chairpersons.
- The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
- Parliamentary leaders of PMLQ, PMLF and PPPS attended the sitting.
- The chief whips of the PPPP, PMLN, MMAP, and ANP attended the sitting while those of PML, PMLF, MQM, BNPA and NPP were absent.
- Fifty-four members were present at the start while 40 were there at the adjournment of the sitting. A maximum of 110 members were observed to be present at one point of the sitting.
- Three Minority members attended the sitting.
- Seven members applied for leave.
Representation and Responsiveness
- Question Hour was not held as it was a private members’ day.
- Out of two calling attention notices on the agenda, one was taken up.
Output
- The House unanimously passed the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2012.
- Five bills were introduced and sent to the relevant Standing Committees. These were: The Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Bill 2012, the Pakistan Food Security for Poor People Bill 2012, The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2012, the Pakistan Psychological Regulatory Authority Bill 2012, and the Protection and Welfare of Khawaja Saras Rights Bill 2012.
Order and Institutionalization
- Fourteen Points of Order were raised which consumed 65 minutes of the sitting time.
- MQM legislators walked out of the House at 1320 hours over the target killings in Karachi and did not attend the rest of the sitting.
Transparency
- Orders of the Day were available to legislators, observers and others.
- Information on Members’ attendance was unavailable to observers and the public
The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of National Assembly proceedings conducted by Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), a Member organization of FAFEN.