ISLAMABAD, February 4, 2020: The Senate addressed most of its agenda on Tuesday and adopted a supplementary resolution to condemn Indian atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during 18th sitting of the 295th session:
Members’ Participation
- The House met for three hours and 14 minutes; however, the proceedings remained suspended for 14 minutes due to prayer break.
- The sitting started at its scheduled time of 1500 hours.
- The Chairman presided over the sitting for three minutes while the Deputy Chairman chaired the remaining proceedings.
- The Leader of the House attended the sitting for two hours and 41 minutes.
- The Leader of the Opposition was present for two hours and 32 minutes.
- Fourteen lawmakers (13%) were present at the outset and 18 (17%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of ANP, PTI, PML-N, PPPP, PkMAP, PML-F, BNP-M, JUI-F and JI attended the sitting.
- Two out of four minority lawmakers were present.
Output
- Chairperson Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs presented report of the Committee on the budgetary allocation and its utilization by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and its Divisions as well as Departments.
- Chairman Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs presented report of the Committee on the visit of Senate Foreign Affairs Committee to Brussels, Munich and Berlin on migration issues and regional security in Pakistan from 13thto 19th October, 2019.
- Chairman Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting presented report of the Committee on a matter referred by the House on January 27, 2020 regarding non-payment of salaries to working Journalists by many private media houses for last many months.
- Minister for Parliamentary Affairs laid a copy of the Money Bill, the Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020, as required under Article 73 of the Constitution. The Chair asked the Senators to forward recommendations on it till February 7, 2020.
- The House unanimously adopted a resolution to express solidarity with Kashmiris in their struggle for self-determination and condemned Indian atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution was tabled by the Leader of the House.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up 13 out of 18 starred questions while answers of five questions were considered to be laid on the table due to the absence of their movers. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs responded to all these questions addressed to Ministries of Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs; Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and Industries and Production. In addition, the members asked 26 supplementary questions.
- The House did not discuss the Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the State Bank of Pakistan on the state of the Economy for the year 2018-19.
- Three lawmakers spoke on points of public importance for five minutes.
Order and Institutionalization
- A PML-N lawmaker spoke on a point of order for one minute which was about prolonging the ongoing session of the Senate.
- The Opposition objected to the word `Ordinance’ used in the text of the proposed legislation (the Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020) tabled in the House. Eight lawmakers from both sides of aisle consumed 46 minutes of the proceedings in debate on this legislative proposal.
- The House was adjourned to meet again on February 7, 2020 (Friday) at 1030 hours.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.
- The attendance of lawmakers is available on the website.
This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Senate proceedings conducted by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Errors and omissions are excepted