ISLAMABAD, September 26, 2016: The Provincial Assembly of Sindh passed one government bill and adopted two resolutions taken as supplementary agenda on Monday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the proceedings during 4th sitting of the 27th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and 50 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1023 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
- The proceedings were suspended for three minutes due to the call for prayers.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for two hours and 50 minutes while the remaining proceedings were chaired by the Deputy Speaker.
- The Chief Minister attended the sitting for 34 minutes.
- The Leader of the Opposition remained present for 10 minutes.
- Twenty-seven lawmakers (16%) were present at the start and 55 (38%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
- The Parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PML-F and PTI were present.
- Four minority members also attended the sitting.
- One member applied for leave.
Output
- Tabled by the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, the House passed the Zulfikarabad Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2016 following presentation of the Standing Committee report. The bill was taken up as supplementary agenda.
- Tabled jointly by PPPP lawmakers, the House adopted a resolution to condemn human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Another resolution tabled by the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, urging the government to conduct transparent inquiry against the Prime Minister on Panama leaks was also adopted by the House. Both the resolutions were also taken up as supplementary agenda.
- A resolution tabled by PTI lawmaker demanding the apex court and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to disqualify the Prime Minister on Panama leaks was rejected by the House.
- The report of the Standing Committee on Education regarding the Karachi Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship Bill, 2015 was not taken up.
Representation and Responsiveness
- Five out of six Starred Questions were responded to by the government. The lawmakers also asked 21 Supplementary Questions.
- An Adjournment Motion on the casualties caused by rains in Karachi and Hyderabad was not taken up due to the mover’s absence.
- Two out of five Calling Attention Notices (CANs) were taken up and responded to by the relevant ministers.
Order and Institutionalization
- The lawmakers spoke on one Point of Order, consuming two minutes of the proceedings.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.
- The attendance of lawmakers was available to observers and media.
This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Sindh Assembly proceedings, conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.