ISLAMABAD, April 17, 2017: The Sindh Assembly on Monday adopted a motion censuring a PTI lawmaker for passing negative remarks against the Provincial Assembly and continued discussion on Budget Execution Report for 1st and 2nd Quarters, 2016-17, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the proceedings during fourth sitting of the 32nd session:
Members’ Participation
- The Sindh Assembly met for two hours and 48 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1440 hours against the scheduled time of 1400 hours.
- The proceedings remained suspended for three minutes for Azaan break.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and 59 minutes while a Member of Panel of Chairpersons chaired rest of the proceedings.
- The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) attended the sitting for 36 minutes while the Leader of the Opposition remained present for 23 minutes.
- Forty-two lawmakers (25%) were present at the outset and 38 (23%) at the time of adjournment of sitting.
- The Parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM and PTI attended the sitting.
- Five minority members were present.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up four out of five Starred Questions, which were responded to by the relevant minister. The lawmakers asked 16 Supplementary Questions.
- The relevant ministers made statements on two Call Attention Notices (CANs) related to fee paid to legal Advisors/Advocates hired by the government for pleading their cases and lack of basic facilities like drinking water, lavatory, lab, supply of electricity in Government Boys Irfan Secondary School, Soldier Bazar No. 02.
- Two CANs, sponsored by PTI and PPP lawmakers, were not taken up due to the absence of their movers.
- Five lawmakers belonging to MQM and PML-F took part in the discussion on Budget Execution Report for 1st and 2nd Quarters, 2016-17. The discussion consumed an hour and 14 minutes of the proceedings.
Order and Institutionalization
- The lawmakers spoke on six Points of Order consuming 20 minutes of the sitting.
- Lawmakers from MQM staged a token walkout claiming that their party won UC-9 by-polls in Sukkur but the result is being held due to the government’s pressure on Election Commission of Pakistan.
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 Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation, a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.