ISLAMABAD, July 29, 2019: The Provincial Assembly of Punjab’s 12th session, requisitioned by the opposition, was prorogued sine die on Monday amid lack of quorum, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during the single-sitting 12th session:
Members’ Participation
- The House met for three hours and four minutes, while the sitting remained suspended for 18 minutes due to lack of quorum.
- The sitting started at 1145 hours against the scheduled time of 1030 hours.
- In the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy speaker presided over the sitting for two hours and 49 minutes while a member of the Panel of Chairpersons presided over the rest of the sitting.
- The Leaders of the House and the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
- As many as 45 MPAs (12%) were present at the outset and 65 (18%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leader of PPPP attended the proceedings.
- As many as seven out of eight minority lawmakers attended the sitting.
Output:
- The Minister for Law laid the Punjab Seized and Freezed Institutions (Madaaris and Schools) Ordinance, 2019, the Punjab Seized and Freezed Facilities (Hospitals and Dispensaries) Ordinance, 2019, and the Punjab Regularization of Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019. The House referred these ordinances to the relevant standing committees with the directions to report back to the House within two months.
- The House did not take up the Fort Monroe Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and the Punjab Alternate Dispute Resolution Bill, 2019.
- A PML-N lawmaker initiated the general discussion on price control. His speech consumed four minutes of the proceedings. No other lawmaker took part in the discussion owing to identification of the quorum.
- The House did not take up general discussions on law and order and improving the economic situation.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The Minister for Higher Education responded to eight out of 22 Starred Questions while the Chair disposed of eight questions and deferred one due to absence of the movers. The lawmakers asked 14 supplementary questions as well.
- The House deferred an Adjournment Motion included in the List of Business due to absence of the relevant minister.
- The House disposed of two Call Attention Notices (CANs) due to absence of the movers.
Order and Institutionalization
- The lawmakers raised 38 Points of Order consuming 69 minutes of the proceedings.
- A lawmaker belonging to PPPP staged a 58-minute long walkout over treasury lawmaker’s derogatory remarks against PPPP leadership.
- A lawmaker belonging to PTI pointed out the quorum at 1234 hours; however, it was found complete on the headcount.
- Another PTI lawmaker identified the lack of quorum again at 1424 hours that led to suspension of the proceedings for 18 minutes. However, the quorum was still incomplete on the resumption of the proceedings and the session was prorogued sine die.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ and attendance of the lawmakers is available on the website of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab.
The daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Punjab Assembly proceedings conducted by PATTAN Development Organization – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are regretted.