- Session prorogued
ISLAMABAD, April 5, 2021: The Senate transacted its entre agenda on Monday and adopted a private member’s resolution demanding the government to provide free of cost anti-corona vaccine to public or as per original international market price, observers Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the proceedings during the first and last sitting of 310th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Senate met for three hours and five minutes.
- The sitting started at 10:10 am against the scheduled time of 10:00 am.
- The chairman presided over the entire proceedings.
- The deputy chairman was also present.
- The leaders of the house and the opposition attended the entire sitting.
- As many as 56 lawmakers (56%) were present at the outset and 67 (67%) at the adjournment of sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PTI, PPPP, MQMP, PkMAP, JI, PML-N, BAP, BNP-M and JUI-F attended the sitting.
- Two minority lawmakers were present.
Output
- Moved by the minister for Finance and Revenue, the House passed the Pakistan Single Window Bill, 2021.
- Two bills including the Islamabad Capital Territory Food Safety Bill 2020 and the Public Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021 were referred to the relevant committees for consideration after their introduction in the House.
- A private member’s bill seeking amendments in the Articles 57, 62, 72, 73, 86, 89, 126, 159, 160, 162 and 166 of the Constitution was referred to the relevant standing committee for deliberation.
- Sponsored by a JUI-F lawmaker, the House adopted a resolution with majority of votes which demanded the government to provide either free of cost anti-corona vaccine to the general public or as per original international market price. Five lawmakers including the leaders of the house and the opposition participated in debate for 25 minutes.
- Moved by the leader of the house, the House passed a motion authorizing its chairman to make changes in n the composition of Standing Committees, Functional Committees, Senate Finance Committee, House Committee, Library Committee and other Committees of the House.
Order and Institutionalization
- The parliamentary leaders of JI, PkMAP and BNP-M walked out from the House for 22 minutes as a protest due to non-allotment of their seats in the first row.
- Five lawmakers protested in the House for two minutes to express solidarity with the leader of the opposition when the parliamentary leader of the PML-N challenged his status and announced a separate opposition group.
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.