ISLAMABAD, January 17, 2014: :Two Ordinances, including KP Widow and Special Persons Welfare Foundation Ordinance, 2013 and KP Higher Education Scholarship Endowment Fund Ordinance, 2013, were laid in the 7th sitting of the ongoing session of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday, says Free and Fair Election Network in its Daily Factsheet.

The House also held debate on the terrorist attack in a seminary in Peshawar for an hour and 10 minutes. A total of 10 members participated in the debate, including two legislators each from PPPP, PTI, JUI-F while one member each from QWP, ANP, PML-N and AJIP.

The House constituted a committee to investigate the incident of torturing a journalist allegedly by a policeman in the premises of provincial assembly. The Chair directed the additional Inspector General of Police to lodge an FIR against the cop and ensure his arrest.

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings:

• The KP Assembly met for three hour and 33 minutes. The House took two prayer breaks for an hour and 10 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1532 hours against the scheduled time of 1500 hours, witnessing a delay of 32 minutes.
• The Speaker chaired the entire sitting.
• The Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition were absent.
• The parliamentary leaders of PML-N, QWP, PPPP, AJIP and PTI attended the proceedings.
• Forty-four members were present at the outset while 34 were there at the adjournment of the sitting.
• One minority member attended the sitting.
• Thirteen members applied for leave.

Output:

• Two Ordinances, including KP Widow and Special Persons Welfare Foundation Ordinance, 2013 and KP Higher Education Scholarship Endowment Fund Ordinance, 2013 were laid in the House.

Representation and Responsiveness:

• All 19 Starred Questions appearing on the agenda were taken up while 11 were responded to by the relevant ministries. Additionally, members asked four supplementary questions.
• The House had a debate on the terrorist attack in a seminary in Peshawar for an hour and 10 minutes. Ten members participated in the debate.

Order and Institutionalization:

• Four points of order (POs) were raised during the proceedings, consuming an hour and twenty minutes. However, three POs attracted the Chair’s formal ruling which were related to the terrorist attack in a seminary in Peshawar, torture of a journalist by policeman in KP assembly premises and announcement of next sitting as a private member’s day.
• There was no instance of protest, boycott or walkout.

Transparency:

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
• Information on members’ attendance was not available to observers and the public.

The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of KP Assembly proceedings conducted by PAIMAN, a member organization of FAFEN