ISLAMABAD, September 24, 2013: The Sindh Assembly adopted five resolutions on Tuesday as three private members’ bills were introduced during the fifth sitting of the seventh session.

Introduced by a female PPPP lawmaker, the Sindh Marriage Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious Display and Wasteful Expenses) Bill 2013, the Child Marriage Prohibition Bill 2013 and the Sindh Prohibition of Dowry Bill 2013 were introduced.

The unanimously adopted resolutions called upon the government for reversing the increase in the petroleum prices, restricting movement of heavy vehicles in Karachi from 5:30pm to midnight, establishing more fire brigade stations, setting minimum age of marriage at 18 years and a check on the sale of harmful drugs to youth.

Five private motions – all tabled by a female PML-F MPA – were adopted. The motions demanded a reduction in load shedding of power and gas, training of paramedics, implementation of disabled person and son quota, proper use of irrigation department funds and controlling general price hike.

An adjournment motion on the spread of diseases in Hyderabad due to poor sanitary conditions was rejected after four members discussed it for 44 minutes. The motion was moved by two MQM lawmakers.

The Deputy Speaker presided over the sitting. The Chief Minister, the Leader of Opposition and the parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PMLF and PTI attended the sitting.

Following are some key observations of the House proceedings:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and 30 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1145 hours against the schedule start time of 0930 hours, witnessing a delay of two hours and 15 minutes.
• Seventy-five Members were present at the start and 59 when the sitting was adjourned.  At one point, a maximum of 99 Members were present in the sitting.
• The Deputy Speaker presided over the sitting.
• The Chief Minister attended the sitting for an hour and 11 minutes while the Leader of Opposition was present for two hours and 43 minutes.
• The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PMLF and PTI attended the sitting.
• One Member applied for leave.
• Five Minority Members were present.

Output

• Three private member bills: the Sindh Marriage Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious Display and Wasteful Expenses) Bill 2013, the Child Marriage Prohibition Bill 2013 and the Sindh Prohibition  of Dowry Bill, 2013 were introduced. The three bills were tabled by a female PPPP MPA.
• The assembly unanimously adopted five private members’ resolutions. The resolutions called upon the government for reversing the increase in the petroleum prices, restricting movement of heavy vehicles in Karachi from 5:30pm to midnight, establishing more fire brigade stations, setting minimum age of marriage at 18 years and a check on the sale of harmful drugs to youth. The first four resolutions were moved by MQM and the fifth by a PMLF member.

Representation and Responsiveness

• Four starred questions on the agenda addressed to the Ministry of Excise and Taxation were taken up and answered on the floor by the relevant minister. Additionally, 37 supplementary questions were asked.

• The Chair rejected an adjournment motion by MQM legislators on the spread of diseases in Hyderabad due to poor sanitary conditions after four members discussed it for 44 minutes.
• An MQM lawmaker tabled a privilege motion that the bills submitted by him four months back were not on the orders of the day. The mover did not press his motion after the Law Minister assured him that his bills would soon be presented in the House.
• Five private motions – all tabled by a female PML-F MPA – were adopted. The motions demanded a reduction in load shedding of power and gas, training of paramedics, implementation of disabled person and son quota, proper use of irrigation department funds and controlling general price hike.

 Order and Institutionalization

• Twenty points of order were raised consuming 38 minutes of the sitting.
• No incidents of protests/walkouts/boycotts were observed.

Transparency

• Orders of the Day were available to the legislators, observers and others.
• Information on Legislators’ attendance was available to the observers and the public.  

The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), a member organization of FAFEN