ISLAMABAD, January 16, 2019: The Provincial Assembly of Sindh addressed its entire agenda on Wednesday and held a discussion on the distribution of water among provinces, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during sixth sitting of the fourth session:
Members’ Participation
- The Assembly met for three hours and 34 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1125 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for two hours and 47 minutes while the Deputy Speaker chaired the rest of the sitting.
- The Leader of the House attended the sitting for three hours and 19 minutes.
- The Leader of the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
- As many as 66 lawmakers (39%) were present at outset and 86 lawmakers (51%) at adjournment of the sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, PTI, MQMP, GDA, TLP and MMAP attended the sitting.
- As many as six out of nine minority lawmakers attended the sitting.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The Minister for Energy responded to four out of six Starred Questions while remaining two questions were not addressed. The lawmakers asked 21 supplementary questions as well.
- The House took up four Call Attention Notices (CANs) regarding delay in the installation of 14 wind projects, installation of mobile towers in residential areas, maintenance of sewerage system in areas beyond the control of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), and blockade of water in Umarkot district by landlords. The ministers for Energy, Information Technology, Local Government and Irrigation responded to these notices.
- The House did not take up a CAN related to fisheries.
- The House held a discussion on a PPPP lawmaker’s Adjournment Motion regarding failure and apathy of Indus River System Authority (IRSA) regarding distribution of water among provinces. As many as nine lawmakers debated the issue consuming an hour and 30 minutes of the proceedings.
- A PPPP lawmaker’s Adjournment Motion (AM) was deferred due to absence of the mover.
Order and Institutionalization
- As many as six lawmakers raised Points of Order (POs) consuming 22 minutes of the proceedings.
- The lawmakers belonging to MQMP, GDA and PTI protested for two minutes against the decision of the Chair to disallow the supplementary questions after the expiry of the Question Hour.
- The House was adjourned to meet again on January 17, 2019 (Thursday) 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 Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.