ISLAMABAD, January 11, 2022: The Senate sitting was adjourned on Tuesday amid lack of quorum and opposition’s walkout from the proceedings, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its daily factsheet.
Following are key observations of the proceedings during the fourth sitting of 317th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Senate met for three hours and eight minutes; however, the proceedings remained suspended for 15 minutes due to prayer break.
- The sitting started at the scheduled time of 03:30 pm.
- The deputy chairman presided over the entire sitting.
- The leader of the house attended the entire sitting.
- The opposition leader was present for an hour and 53 minutes.
- The Prime Minister was not present.
- As many as 21 lawmakers (21%) were present at the outset and four (4%) at the adjournment of sitting.
- Two out of four minority lawmaker were present.
Output
- Chairman Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs presented report of the committee on the Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2021 and spoke on it for 17 minutes. The leader of the opposition and a PTI lawmaker also spoke on the report for seven minutes.
- The House proposed five recommendations on the Money Bill (Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2021 to the National Assembly seeking amendments in its various clauses.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up seven out of 15 starred questions while the lawmakers asked 19 supplementary questions as well.
- Thirteen lawmakers participated in debate on an adjournment motion regarding scale and nature of tragic loss of precious lives in Murree. They spoke on it for two hours however, the Minister of state for parliamentary affairs could not conclude debate on it due to quorum issue.
Order and Institutionalization
- The entire opposition staged walkout from the proceedings at 7:06 pm when the Chair did not allow its lawmakers to speak on adjournment motion. They did not return to the House till the adjournment of sitting.
- A PML-N lawmaker pointed out the quorum soon after the walkout and the Chair adjourned the House to meet again on Friday, January 14, 2022 at 10:00 am.
Transparency
- Orders of the Day was available to the legislators, observers and public.
- Attendance of lawmakers was available to the media and observers.
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