The fourth session of Punjab Assembly was marked by passage of six bills including the Local Government Bill 2013 amid protests and walkouts. The session also witnessed the passage of opposition-backed resolution against drone attacks.

Thirty-eight legislators debated the local government bill in three sittings of the session. The opposition benches opposed the passage of the bill, saying the non-party election to elect local governments is a violation of the constitution. In protest the members on the opposition benches attended the sittings wearing black armbands.

After the session, the two opposition parties – PPPP and PTI – in the Punjab Assembly challenged the local bodies’ law in the Lahore High Court, seeking party-based elections.

Apart from local government bill, the Punjab Assembly passed five other bills on services, defining “halal” animal, recruitment in police department, boilers and pressure vessels, and setting up a university.

Resolution to condemn drone attacks submitted by a PTI legislator was passed after the government made amendments in the original draft. The resolution declares the drone attacks against the sovereignty of Pakistan and human rights.

The 15-sitting session met for 42 hours and two minutes from August 12 to September 2, 2013, with each sitting on average meeting for two hours and 48 minutes. The session was marked by low attendance. On average, the members’ presence at the outset of the proceedings was 17% (62 members) and at the end 18% (64) with a maximum of 31% (113) at any one point of the sitting. The Punjab Assembly is the largest legislature in the country with 371 members.

The Chief Minister did not attend the session as the Leader of the Opposition attended nine sittings. The

Speaker chaired 93% of the total session time. The Deputy Speaker was present in three sittings and chaired 4% of the proceedings.

Legislators staged six walkouts consuming four hours and 20 minutes of the session time. In the seventh sitting, a PML-N female member walked out from the House for two minutes over the long duration of sitting.

Out of the 178 starred questions submitted by MPAs, 91 were taken up on the floor of the House. Members asked 223 supplementary questions. Six out of 14 calling attention notices on law and order – most of them on robberies – were taken up in the session. Two of the notices were disposed of.

For complete report click here