ISLAMABAD, April 17, 2018: The Sindh Assembly passed eight private members’ bills and adopted four resolutions on Tuesday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during sixth sitting of the 39th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and 35 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1145 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for two hours and 23 minutes while the Deputy Speaker chaired the rest of the sitting.
- The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) and the Opposition Leader did not attend the sitting.
- As many as 39 (23%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 29 (17%) at the adjournment of sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, PML-F, MQM and PTI attended the sitting.
- As many as six minority lawmakers were also present.
- Two members applied for leave of absence.
Output
- The House passed eight private members’ bills including the City University Bill, 2018; the Capital University Bill, 2018; the Emaan Institute of Management and Sciences at Karachi Bill, 2018; the Aror University of Art, Architecture, Design and Heritages Sukkur Bill, 2018;; the Sindh Maternity Benefits Bill, 2018; the Sindh Regulation of Aesthetic and Laser Treatment Bill, 2018; the Sindh Street Children Shelter Home Bill, 2018 and the University of art and culture, Jamshoro Bill, 2017.
- The House witnessed introduction of four bills including the Sindh Hindus Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2018; the Sindh Regularization of Commercial Transport Companies Bill, 2018; the Sindh Women Protection Authority Bill, 2018 and the Sindh Water Management (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
- Two bills including the Sindh Prohibition on Manufacture, Promotion, Distribution, Importing, Sale and Consumption of Gutka and Mainpuri (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and the Sindh Fair Representation of Women Bill, 2018 were referred to the relevant committees.
- A bill – the Sindh Prohibition of Corporal Punishment (Amendment) Bill, 2017 – was not taken up due to absence of relevant mover.
- The House adopted four resolutions to take notice regarding issuance of CNIC to illegal immigrants, design mega plan for at least one selected Public Sector University to include it among top 50 Universities of the World in next five years, initiate action against vehicles having tinted glasses and overcome load-shedding crisis in Karachi.
- A resolution for directions to all Public Sector Universities to exempt fee of orphan students was withdrawn by its mover.
- The House did not consider Amendments in the Rules of Procedure of Sindh Assembly and five private motions.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up all four Starred Questions during the Question Hour. The lawmakers asked 24 supplementary questions as well.
- The House rejected a PTI lawmaker’s Adjournment Motion regarding irregularities in Energy Department pointed out in report of the Auditor General of Pakistan for the audit year, 2016-17.
Order and Institutionalization
- A lawmaker spoke on a point of order for four minutes.
- The House was adjourned to meet again on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 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 Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation, a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.