ISLAMABAD, April 27, 2018: The Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab (Regularization of Services) Bill 2018 by suspending the regular legislative procedure amidst opposition lawmaker’s protest, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during second sitting of the 35th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Punjab Assembly met for two hours and 10 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1023 hours against the scheduled time 0900 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 proceedings for 56 minutes.
- As many as 20 MPAs (5%) were present at outset and 105 (28) at adjournment of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leader of PML-Z was present.
- As many as four minority lawmakers attended the sitting.
Output
- The Housed passed the Punjab (Regularization of Service) Bill 2018 immediately after its introduction by suspending the regular legislative procedure. As many as five lawmakers including the Provincial Law Minister debated the bill for 17 minutes.
- The Provincial Law Minister introduced the Explosive Substances (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018; the Punjab Witness Protection Bill 2018; the Punjab Government Servants Housing Foundation (Amendment) Bill 2018; the Registration (Punjab Second Amendment) Bill 2018; the Punjab Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2018; the Punjab Bonded Labour System (Abolition) (Amendment) Bill 2018 and the Punjab Agricultural Marketing Regulatory Authority Bill 2018. The Chair referred these bills to the relevant committees with recommendation to present their reports on the bills within one month.
- The Provincial Minister for Law presented the Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation) (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 in the House. The Ordinance was also referred to the relevant committee.
- The Standing Committees on Education presented its report in the House.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House did not hold Question Hour on the request of relevant Minister.
- The House deferred an adjournment motion of PTI lawmaker due to delay in response from the government.
Order and Institutionalization
- The proceedings remained suspended for 40 minutes due to lack of quorum identified by a PTI lawmaker at 1036.
- A lawmaker belonging to PTI pointed out the quorum at 1141 hours and 1215 hours but it was found complete after ringing bells for five minutes.
- As many as two PTI lawmakers staged a protest against hasty passage of the Punjab (Regularization of Service) Bill 2018. One of these lawmakers staged a walkout as well at 1230 hours and did not return till adjournment of sitting.
- The House was adjourned to meet again on Monday (April 30, 2018) at 1400 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.