ISLAMABAD, November 23, 2017: The Provincial Assembly of Sindh unanimously adopted a resolution on Thursday recommending the federal government to take steps to register around 13 million women on electoral rolls, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during 15th and last sitting of the 36th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and six minutes while the proceedings remained suspended for three minutes due to Azaan.
- The sitting started at 1138 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for two hours and 46 minutes while a member of Panel of Chairpersons presided over the rest of the proceedings.
- The Deputy Speaker did not attend the sitting.
- The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) did not attend the sitting.
- The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for 47 minutes.
- As many as 22 (13%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 44 (26%) at the adjournment of sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PML-F, PML-N and PTI attended the sitting.
- Five minority members were also present.
- Three members applied for leave.
Output
- The House unanimously adopted a resolution, jointly moved by lawmakers belonging to PPPP and MQM, recommending the provincial government to approach the federal government to register around 13 million women on electoral rolls. Two lawmakers debated the resolution for four minutes.
- The House referred a resolution regarding improving water supply and sanitation to the relevant standing committee.
- The House passed the Sindh Livestock Registration and Trade Authority Bill, 2017, the Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Shahdadpur Institute of Medical Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2017 while the Institute of Animals Health Karachi, Bill, 2017 was referred to the relevant standing committee.
Representation and Responsiveness
- As many as six out of 19 Starred Questions were responded to by the relevant ministers during the Question Hour. The lawmakers asked 33 supplementary questions as well.
- The House took up five Call Attention Notices (CANs) regarding out-of-district duties of 1300 policemen of district Benazirabad, privatization of the Nazeer Hussain Hospital situated at Tanga Stand Hyderabad, loose electricity cables in Clifton, delay in development works in Gulshan-e-Sarmast Scheme Hyderabad and outdated vacation schedules of educational institutions.
- The Chair rejected a PTI lawmaker’s Adjournment Motion regarding lack of medicine at Civil Hospital Karachi. Two lawmakers spoke on the motion for 18 minutes.
- The Chair referred a Privilege Motion, moved by a MQM lawmaker, to the relevant committee.
- As many as two lawmakers including the Minister for Food spoke on Points of Public Importance
Order and Institutionalization
- The lawmakers did not raise any Point of Order.
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.