ISLAMABAD, February 8, 2018: Starting an hour and 38 minutes behind the schedule, the 9th sitting of Punjab Assembly was adjourned due to lack of quorum, says Free and Fair Election Network on Thursday.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during ninth sitting of the 34th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Punjab Assembly met for an hour and 49 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1138 hours against the scheduled time 1000 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the entire sitting while the Deputy Speaker was not present.
- The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting.
- The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for 22 minutes.
- As many as 11 MPAs (3%) were present at outset and 18 (5%) at adjournment of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PPPP and JI were present during the proceedings.
- As many as five minority lawmakers attended the sitting.
Output
- The House did not take up legislative business while annual activity reports of the Parks and Horticulture Authority for six divisions were not presented.
Representation and Responsiveness
- As many as six out of 11 Starred Questions were taken up for answers during the proceedings. The lawmakers also asked 18 supplementary questions.
- Sponsored by a PML-N lawmaker, the House took up a Calling Attention Notice (CAN) regarding law and order. Another CAN on the agenda was disposed of due to absence of relevant lawmaker.
Order and Institutionalization
- The lawmakers raised 17 Points of Order consuming 23 minutes of the proceedings.
- JI Parliamentary Leader staged a token walk out for not resolving the grievances of sugarcane growers.
- A PTI lawmaker pointed out the quorum at 1322 hours following which the Chair ordered the bells to be rung for five minutes. Even then, the quorum was not found in order and the sitting was adjourned at 1327 hours.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.
- Information on Members’ attendance is available on Punjab Assembly’s website.
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