ISLAMABAD, October 2, 2019: The Sind Assembly left more than 80 percent of its regular agenda unaddressed on Wednesday and adopted a supplementary resolution rejecting any amendment in the Constitution, relating to two third votes of provincial legislature mandatory for altering or creating new province, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during 10th sitting of the sixth session:
Members’ Participation
- The House met for two hours and 25 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1430 hours against the scheduled time of 1400 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and 55 minutes while the Deputy Speaker chaired rest of the proceedings.
- The Leader of the House did not attend the proceedings.
- The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for two hours and 11 minutes.
- As many as 29 MPAs (17%) were present at the outset and 48 (29%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, GDA, TLP and MMAP attended the proceedings.
- Seven out of nine minority lawmakers attended the sitting.
Output
- Moved by a PPPP lawmaker, the House adopted a supplementary resolution to condemn the introduction of a Private Member’s Bill by MQM lawmakers in National Assembly seeking omission of the clause (4) in Article 239 of the Constitution. This clause restricts presentation of Constitutional bill to the President about altering the limits of a Province unless it has been passed by the Provincial legislature of the same Province with two third majority. As many as six lawmakers spoke on the resolution for an hour and two minutes.
- The House did not consider two Adjournment Motions, two reports of Standing Committees and six Calling Attention Notices (CANs).
Representation and Responsiveness
- Minister for Livestock and Fisheries responded to five out of ten starred questions while the lawmakers asked 22 supplementary questions as well.
- Minister for Local Government responded to a CAN about poor sewerage system in Baldia Town, Karachi.
Order and Institutionalization
- MQMP and PTI lawmakers staged a walkout from the proceedings at 1645 hours against the Chair who did not allow them to speak about the supplementary resolution. They did not return to the House till adjournment of sitting. Earlier, MQM protested on floor of the House for three minutes on the same issue.
- The House was adjourned to meet again on October 5, 2019 (Saturday) at 1400 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