ISLAMABAD, April 13, 2018: The Sindh Assembly passed three government bills on Friday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during fourth sitting of the 39th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and 26 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1050 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and 44 minutes while rests of the proceedings were chaired by the Deputy Speaker.
- The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) attended the sitting for two hours and 46 minutes.
- The Leader of the Opposition was present for an hour and 57 minutes.
- As many as 43 (26%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 47 (28%) at the adjournment of sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PML-N and PTI attended the sitting.
- As many as six minority lawmakers were also present.
- A lawmaker applied for leave of absence.
Output
- Moved by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, the House passed three government bills including the Sindh Universities and Institutes Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018, the Sindh Regularization of Veterinary Doctors Appointed on Contract Basis Bill, 2018 and the West Pakistan Highways (Sindh Amendment) Bill, 2018.
- The House deferred the consideration of the Sohail University Bill, 2017, the University of Modern Sciences Tando Muhammad Khan Bill, 2017 and the Government College University Hyderabad Bill, 2018.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up three out of 15 Starred Questions during the proceedings. The lawmakers asked 19 supplementary questions as well.
- The House rejected a PTI lawmaker’s Adjournment Motion regarding irregularities in the Board of Revenue Department pointed out in the report of Auditor General of Pakistan for the Audit Year, 2016-17.
- The House took up six Calling Attention Notices (CANs) about fresh contract appointments in Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), utilization of grants made to KMC during current tenure, alleged sexual violence against Hindu boy in Mirpur Bathoro, non-supply of water from Keenjhar lake to Thatta City, shortage of medicine and Doctors in Civil Hospital Sanghar and stoppage of work on a sewage line at Ghulshan-e-Faisal, Karachi.
- A CAN regarding insufficient supply of water in Mohajir Camp was not taken due to absence of its mover.
Order and Institutionalization
- A PTI lawmaker staged a two-minute protest and a walkout from the proceedings for ten minutes against rejection of his Adjournment Motion.
- Entire opposition also staged a two-minute protest followed by a walkout from the House at 1340 hours against consideration of the Sindh Universities and Institutes Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018. They did not return to the House till adjournment of the sitting at 1416 hours.
- The House was adjourned to meet again on Thursday, April 16, 2018 at 1500 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