ISLAMABAD, February 28, 2018: The Sindh Assembly on Wednesday passed one bill and took up four Calling Attention Notices (CANS), observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during fourth sitting of the 38th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Sindh Assembly met for two hours and 57 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1130 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for two hour and six minutes while rests of the proceedings were chaired by the Deputy Speaker.
- The Leader of the House attended the sitting for 35 minutes.
- The Opposition Leader did not attend the sitting.
- As many as 35 (21%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 37 (22%) at the adjournment of sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PTI and PML-F attended the sitting.
- As many as five minority lawmakers were also present.
Output
- The House passed the Sindh Sales Tax on Services (Amendment) Bill, 2018 while another bill – the Sindh Public Private Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2018 – was deferred.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The Chair rejected an adjournment motion of PTI lawmaker which was regarding re-appointment of Dr. Asim Hussain as Chairman, Sindh Higher Education Commission (HEC).
- The House took up four out of six starred questions. In addition, lawmakers asked 22 supplementary questions.
- The House took up four CANs which were regarding police officials deputed for VIPs duties, sale of raw liquor in Mirpur Sakro Thatta, collapse of building in an area of Karachi and poor sewerage system in Gulistan-e-Johar Karachi.
- A CAN regarding illegal inductions in Education Department, Dadu was not taken up.
Order and Institutionalization
- A PML-F lawmaker protested within the House for two minister over unsatisfactory reply to a CAN sponsored by her.
- PTI lawmakers walked out of the House at 1323 hours after protest of five minutes on the floor when the Chair did not allow one of their colleagues to speak on an adjournment motion. They did not return to the House till adjournment of sitting.
- The House was adjourned to meet again on Thursday, March 1, 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