ISLAMABAD, October 11, 2013: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday formed Select Committees to scrutinize the bills on local government and the accountability commission in the fourth sitting of the sixth session.

As the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has still not formed the Standing Committees, the Select Committees will review the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Bill 2013 and The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission Bill 2013.

The Deputy Speaker chaired the entire sitting. The Chief Minister was absent while the Leader of the Opposition and the parliamentary leaders of QWP, PPPP and JUIF attended the sitting.

The House took up three calling attention notices on shortage of medicine and mosquito nets in three hospitals in Bannu, irregularities in transfers of BPS-15 teachers in Buner, and inaction of the government on the notification to upgrade senior stenographers to grade -16.

Three walkouts consuming 38 minutes were observed during the proceedings. A PTI lawmaker walked out when the Chair did not permit him to speak. The entire opposition walked out for 11 minutes on the issue of political transfers and appointments of teachers in Buner. A ten-minute walkout was staged by female lawmakers from the treasury and opposition benches on discrimination against women MPAs in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

Following are some key observations of the proceedings:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly met for four hours and seven minutes. The House took two prayer breaks consuming an hour and 26 minutes.
• The proceedings witnessed a delay of an hour and 20 minutes and started at 1120 hours against the scheduled starting time of 1000 hours.
• Thirty-five members were present at the outset while a maximum 74 MPAs were there at the adjournment of the sitting.
• After a PPPP female legislator pointed out lack of quorum, the Speaker called for the assembly bells to be rung for five minutes. Later the proceedings as the quorum was found complete after a recount.
• The Deputy Speaker chaired the entire sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of QWP, PPPP and JUIF attended the sitting.
• The Chief Minister was absent while the Leader of the Opposition attended the proceedings for an hour and 35 minutes.
• Three minority members attended the sitting.
• Four members applied for leave.
  

Output

• The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission Bill, 2013 and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Bill, 2013 were sent to the newly formed Select Committees.
• Twelve annual reports of the Council of Islamic Ideology from 1997 till 2008 and one report of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission for the year 2010 were laid before the House.
  

Representation and Responsiveness

• There were no questions on the agenda.
• Three calling attention notices – one by a PTI and two by JUIF lawmakers – were taken up. The notices were on shortage of medicine and mosquito nets in three hospitals in Bannu, irregularities in transfers of BPS-15 teachers in Buner, and inaction of the government on the notification to upgrade senior stenographers to grade -16.

Order and Institutionalization

• None of the members spoke on points of orders.
• Three walkouts were registered during the proceedings consuming 38 minutes. The first 17-minute walkout was staged by a PTI lawmaker when the chair did not allow him to speak. The entire opposition walked out for 11 minutes on the issue of political transfers and appointments of teachers in Buner. The female lawmakers belonging to government and opposition parties observed a 10-minute walkout on discrimination against women MPAs in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

Transparency

• The List of Business (agenda) was available to the legislators, observers and others.
• Information of members’ attendance was available to the observers and the public.

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