ISLAMABAD, June 4, 2010: The second sitting of the twenty third session met for 2 hours and 14 minutes with 57 members present at the outset. The parliamentary proceedings were suspended for 17 minutes due to lack of quorum, reports the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet on Second Sitting of 23rd Session of the National Assembly Proceedings.
The following are some key observations of the Parliamentary Business:
Members’ participation in House proceedings
- The National Assembly met for 02 hours and 14 minutes.
- The second sitting started at 1040 Hours against the scheduled starting time of 1000 hours. The House proceedings started late by 40 minutes.
- Mr. Nawab Yousaf Talpur (Panel of Chairpersons) chaired the first 28 minutes of the sitting, while the remaining 106 minutes were chaired by the Speaker. The Deputy Speaker was also present during the proceedings.
- The Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition remained absent.
- Parliamentary leaders of PPPS and PMLF were present while the leaders of PML, MQM, ANP, NPP, MMAP, and BNPA were absent
- The Chief Whips of PPPP, PMLN, PML, PPPS and PMLF were present, while the chief whips of ANP, MQM, MMAP, NPP and BNPA were absent.
- Five members appealed for leave to be absent from the sitting.
- A total of 57 members were present at the outset of the sitting, while 107 members at the end of the sitting.
Representation and Responsiveness
- There were 2 Calling Attention Notices on the Orders of the Day. Both the CANs were taken up by the House.
- The first Calling Attention Notice taken up by the House was directed to the Cabinet Secretariat regarding ‘non-availability of funds for on-going development projects under the control of ERRA in Districts Shangla, Kohastan, Batgram, Abbotabad and Mansehra’ .This CAN was raised by 3 PML members and 1 member of PMLN.
- The other CAN, taken up by the House was directed to the Ministry of Water and Power regarding ‘acute shortage of water in Southern Punjab’. This was raised by 4 PMLN members.
- A total of 24 questions were listed on the agenda to be taken up during the Question Hour. However, only 06 questions were raised and responded to by the relevant minister
Output
- There were three bills on the Orders of the Day which were not taken up by the House.
- There was one resolution on the Orders of the Day which was deferred.
Order and institutionalization
- 14 Points of Order was raised, taking up 32 minutes of the House proceedings. However, it didn’t require Speaker’s ruling.
- There was no Adjournment Motion on the Orders of the Day.
- There were no instances of boycotts, walkouts or protest during the sitting.
Transparency
- Orders of the Day was available to legislators, observers and others.
- Information on Members’ attendance was unavailable to observers and the public.
- The Quorum was pointed out during the early stages of the sitting by a member of PML. The proceedings were suspended for 17 minutes by Mr. Nawab Yousaf Talpur (Panel of Chairpersons).
The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of the Senate proceedings conducted by Center for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), a member organization of FAFEN