ISLAMABAD, February 24, 2020: The requisitioned session of Provincial Assembly of Punjab started debate on price control and law and order situation on Monday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during second sitting of the 19th session requisitioned by opposition lawmakers:
Members’ Participation
- The House met for two hours and seven minutes; however, the proceedings remained suspended for 48 minutes due to payer break.
- The sitting started at 1714 hours against the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
- The Speaker chaired the siting for two hours, the Deputy Speaker for five minutes while a member of Panel of Chairperson presided over the remaining sitting.
- The Leaders of the House and the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
- As many as 63 (17%) MPAs were present at the outset and 34 (9%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leader of PPPP attended the proceedings.
- As many as four out of eight minority lawmakers attended the sitting.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up three out of 30 starred questions while lawmakers asked seven supplementary questions as well.
- Moved by a PTI lawmaker, the Chair referred an adjournment motion regarding steps for police welfare to the Special Committee. Another adjournment motion was deferred on the request of Provincial Minister for Law.
- The Provincial Minister for Law responded to two Call Attention Notices (CANs) regarding law and order. Two other CANs were disposed of due to absence of relevant movers.
- Four lawmakers debated price control and law and order situation in the province for 33 minutes.
Order and Institutionalization
- As many as eleven lawmakers spoke on points of order consuming 29 minutes of the proceedings.
- PML-N lawmakers protested for four minutes during the proceedings when the Chair gave the floor to the Provincial Minister for Law to respond opposition’ s queries about law and order.
- The House was adjourned to meet again on February 25, 2020 (Tuesday) at 1500 hours.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available on Assembly’s website.
- Information on Members’ attendance is available on the Assembly’s website.
The daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Punjab Assembly proceedings conducted by SANGAT Development Foundation – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are regretted