ISLAMABAD, February 25, 2019: The Provincial Assembly of Sindh adopted two resolutions demanding blue passports for its members and condemned the killing of a medical student in a firing incident in Karachi on Monday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during 21st sitting of the fourth session:
Members’ Participation
- The Assembly met for four hours and 29 minutes; however, the proceedings remained suspended for three minutes due to prayer break.
- The sitting started at 1515 hours against the scheduled time of 1400 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for two hours and 24 minutes while the Deputy Speaker chaired the rest of the sitting.
- The Leader of the House did not attend the sitting.
- The Leader of the Opposition was present for three hours and 22 minutes.
- As many as 48 lawmakers (29%) were present at outset and 50 lawmakers (30%) at adjournment of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQMP, TLP, GDA, PTI and MMAP attended the sitting.
- As many as six out of nine minority lawmakers attended the sitting.
Output
- Moved by a PPPP lawmaker, the House adopted a resolution urging the federal government to provide blue passports to provincial assembly members and their families. As many as two lawmakers debated the resolution for nine minutes.
- The House adopted a resolution urging the provincial government to give honorary degree to a medical student who died during a cross fire between police and dacoits in Karachi. This resolution was jointly moved by MQMP and PPPP lawmakers. As many as 18 lawmakers debated the resolution consuming an hour and 48 minutes.
- The Speaker announced the assent of the Governor to the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Institute of Trauma at Karachi Bill, 2018.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The Minister for Livestock and Fisheries responded to four out of 10 Starred Questions while the remaining six were not taken up. The lawmakers asked 21 supplementary questions as well.
- The Ministers for Education & Literacy and Law & Parliamentary affairs responded to Call Attention Notices (CANs) regarding provision of rules of business for domestic violence and establishing Cambridge Schools in all districts of the Province. Three other CANs appearing on the agenda were deferred due to absence of the relevant ministers.
- A PPPP lawmaker’s Adjournment Motion (AM) got lapsed due to her absence.
Order and Institutionalization
- As many as seven lawmakers raised Points of Order consuming 12 minutes of the proceedings.
- The lawmakers belonging to GDA, MQMP and PTI protested for five minutes against chair’s decision to disallow Points of Order after Question Hour.
- The House was adjourned to meet again on February 26, 2019 (Tuesday) at 1000 hours.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.
- The attendance of lawmakers was available to the media and observers.
This Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of the Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.