ISLAMABAD, November 12, 2012: Starting 62 behind schedule, the first sitting of the 47th session of the National Assembly witnessed low attendance of Members as only 68 were present at start and 46 at the end of the sitting.
The House unanimously passed the Pakistan Academy of Letters Bill 2012 during the sitting. Additionally, nine of 30 starred questions were taken up and responded to by the relevant ministry.
Five Points of Order consumed 34 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.
Following are some key observations of the parliamentary business:
Members’ Participation in House Proceedings
- The National Assembly met for two hours and three minutes.
- The sitting started at 1802 hours against the scheduled starting time of 1700 hours witnessing an hour and two minutes delay.
- The Deputy Speaker chaired the sitting for 83 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.
- None of the parliamentary leaders was present.
- The chief whips of the PPPP, PMLN, MMAP, and ANP attended the sitting while those of PML, PMLF, MQM, PPPS, BNPA and NPP were absent.
- Sixty-eight members were present at the start while 46 were there at the adjournment of the sitting. A maximum of 105 members were observed to be present at one point of the sitting.
- Three Minority members attended the sitting.
- Thirteen members applied for leave.
Representation and Responsiveness
- Nine of the 30 Starred Questions appearing on the agenda were raised and responded to by the relevant minister. Additionally, 10 supplementary questions were also asked.
Output
- The House unanimously passed the Pakistan Academy of Letters Bill 2010.
- The Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 was introduced and sent to the respective Standing Committee.
Order and Institutionalization
- Five Points of Order were raised which consumed 34 minutes of the sitting time.
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 the National Assembly proceedings conducted by Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), a member organization of FAFEN