ISLAMABAD, January 18, 2016: Starting 87 minutes behind the scheduled time, the Provincial Assembly of Sindh took up all agenda items appearing on ‘Orders of the Day’ during second sitting of its 23rd session on Monday, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.
Some key observations are as follows:
Members’ Participation in House Proceedings
- The Sindh Assembly met for 3 hours and 32 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1127 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
- Sixty (36%) lawmakers were present at the start and 54 (32%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
- A maximum of 73 (44%) members attended the sitting.
- The Speaker chaired the sitting for 2 hours and 52 minutes.
- The Deputy Speaker presided over the sitting for 40 minutes.
- The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting.
- The Leader of Opposition attended the sitting for 2 hours and 54 minutes.
- Parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PML-F and PML-N attended the sitting.
- Four minority members attended the sitting.
- Two members applied for leave.
Output
- The House unanimously passed the Sindh Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill, 2015.
- The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs introduced the Karachi Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship Bill, 2015 and the Sindh Shops and Commercial Establishment Bill, 2015.
- The House deferred the consideration of the Sindh Allied Health Professional Council Bill, 2015 and the Sindh Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Bill, 2015 till Friday.
- The Minister for Education and Literacy presented the Quarterly Report (July-September, 2015) on Receipt of the Province, Current Revenue Expenditure, Current Capital Expenditure and Development Expenditure for year 2015-16.
Representation and Responsiveness
- The House took up four out of five starred questions appearing on the agenda. The members also asked 17 supplementary questions.
- Five Calling Attention Notices (CANs) were taken up and responded to by the relevant Ministers on floor of the House. These CANs were about improvement of sanitary condition in Mirpurkhas, reasons for nonregistration of seminaries in Sindh under National Action Plan, allocated budget for dispensaries in Tharparkar, supply of tap water to Orangi town and removal of encroachments under Quaidabad Bridge.
- Moved by MQM lawmaker, the House debate an Adjournment Motion (AM) regarding the death of children in Thar due to shortage of food. Four members spoke on it for 26 minutes.
Order and Institutionalization
- Lawmakers spoke on 33 Points of Order consuming 40 minutes of the proceeding.
- The House rejected a Privilege Motion (PM) moved by MQM lawmaker regarding violation of Sub-Rule (2) of Rule 28 of Rules of Procedure of Sindh Assembly. Two members expressed their views on it for 15 minutes.
Transparency
- “Orders of the Day” was available to the legislators, observers and others.
- Information on legislators’ attendance was available to the observers and the public.
To download the factsheet, click here for English version – click here for Urdu version
This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.