ISLAMABAD, September 22, 2017: The Punjab Assembly’s 31st session was prorogued on Friday amidst absence of most lawmakers including the Leaders of the House and the Opposition, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).
Following are some key observations of the House proceedings during tenth and last sitting of the session:
Members’ Participation
- The Punjab Assembly met for an hour and 24 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1023 hours against the scheduled time of 0900 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the entire sitting while the Deputy Speaker was not present.
- The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) and the Leader of the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
- As many as 12 MPAs (3%) were present at the outset and 67 (18%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
- None of the parliamentary leaders attended the sitting.
- Four minority lawmakers were present.
Output
- The Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs laid before the House the reports on Biannual Monitoring of the Implementation of NFC Award for July–December 2012, January–June 2013, July–December 2013, January–June 2014, July–December 2014, January–June 2015, July-December 2015 and January–June 2016.
- Two other reports appearing on Orders of the Day were not taken up.
Representation and Responsiveness
- As many as 14 out of 31 Starred Questions were taken up for answers during the proceedings while 15 questions were disposed of due to absence of concerned lawmakers and two were deferred. The lawmakers also asked 26 supplementary questions.
- The House did not hold the General Discussion on Price Control.
Order and Institutionalization
- The lawmakers spoke on nine Points of Order consuming as many minutes of the proceedings.
- A PML-N lawmaker staged a walkout at 1039 over unsatisfactory replies of the supplementary questions asked during the Question Hour. She returned to the proceedings at 1140 hours.
- Two PTI lawmakers walked out from proceedings at 1127 hours in protest against not being allowed to move a resolution demanding to lay a copy of the report of Judicial Commission on Model Town Incident in the House. They did not return to the proceedings.
- A PTI lawmaker pointed out quorum at 1139 hours that led to the prorogation of the session.
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.