ISLAMABAD, April 10, 2018: The Sindh Assembly adopts four resolutions on Tuesday while leaving two-thirds private members’ business unaddressed, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Following are key observations of the House proceedings during second sitting of the 39th session:
Members’ Participation
- The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and 52 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1203 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
- The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and 27 while the Deputy Speaker chaired the rest of the sitting.
- The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) did not attend the sitting.
- The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for an hour and 44 minutes.
- As many as 33 (20%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 43 (26%) 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.
- As many as four members applied for leave of absence.
Output
- The private members belonging to MQM, PTI and PPPP introduced the Sindh Prohibition on Manufacture, Promotion, Distribution, Importing, Sale and Consumption of Gutka and Mainpuri (Amendment) Bill, 2018, the Sindh Regulation of Aesthetic and Laser Treatment Bill, 2018, the Sindh Street Children Shelter Home Bill, 2018, the Sindh Fair Representation of Women Bill, 2018, the Capital University Bill, 2018, the Aror University of Art, Architecture, Design and Heritages Sukkur Bill, 2018 and the Emaan Institute of Management and Sciences at Karachi Bill, 2018. The House referred these bills to the relevant standing committees.
- The Sindh Prohibition of Corporal Punishment (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Sindh Hindus Marriage (Amendment) Bill and the Sindh Women Protection Authority Bill, 2018 were not moved due to absence of the concerned lawmakers.
- Standing Committee on Higher, Technical Education and Research, School Education (Upto Matriculation) and Special Education presented its report on the University of Art and Culture, Jamshoro Bill, 2017.
- The House adopted a supplementary government resolution expressing its concerns on Balochistan’s claim over Sindh lands.
- The House adopted three private members’ resolutions recommending the government to install multilingual signboards in languages English, Urdu and Sindhi on roads, to meet the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists’ demands regarding employment benefits for journalists and regarding to stop announced and un-announced electricity load-shedding in the province.
- The House did not take the motions for consideration of a private member’s bill and 19 amendments in the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up three out of seven Starred Questions during the Question Hour. The lawmakers asked 15 supplementary questions as well.
- The House rejected PML-F lawmaker’s Adjournment Motion regarding discrimination against Sindhi speaking staff by DOW University’s administration.
Order and Institutionalization
- A lawmaker raised a Point of Order consuming five minutes of the proceedings.
- A PML-F lawmaker staged a two-minute protest against rejection of her Adjournment Motion.
- The opposition lawmakers protested for 15 minutes against consideration of an out-of-agenda government resolution.
- PPP lawmakers protested for three minutes against negative remarks of a PML-F lawmaker about PPPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari.
- The House was adjourned to meet again on Thursday, April 12, 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.