The seventh session of the Sindh Assembly witnessed the passage of important government bills on health care, witness protection, real estate development and government funding without the formal constitution of standing committees.

Overall the House passed 13 treasury bills during the session. Six bills were on real estate – five of them aiming to revive and amend repealed acts concerning development authorities in Malir, Lyari, Larkana, Hyderabad, Sehwan to encourage the housing industry and provide shelter to people in Sindh. A bill to control the violations of building codes was also passed.

The House approved four bills on health care, seeking to prevent and control thalassemia, screening newborns for hearing disabilities and regulating matters relating to the treatment and care of mentally disordered persons. The Sindh Assembly continued to legislate to adopt the duties devolved to the provinces under the 18th amendment as it passed the bill to shift the responsibility of treatment and protection of HIV/AIDS to the province.

In the context of law and order situation in Sindh, particularly in Karachi, the House passed the all-important bill to provide protection to witnesses to encourage them to give evidence in criminal proceedings.

Three private members bills on protecting children from early marriage, prohibiting dowry and the ostentatious display on marriages were introduced during the session. However, the Sindh Assembly has still not formed Standing Committees. According to Rule 129 of the Sindh Assembly’s rules of procedure, the House, in its first session after the general election has to form Standing Committees. Although a motion for the election of Standing Committees appeared on the agenda twice the committees were not formed during the proceedings.

All the 17 resolutions tabled by legislators singly or jointly were adopted during the session. Fourteen of the resolutions were moved by single parties – nine submitted by MQM, four by PPPP and one by PML-F.

As the country faced some tragic incidents such as the earthquake in Balochistan and terrorist attack on soldiers of Pakistan Army in Dir and a church in Peshawar, the Sindh Assembly adopted resolutions to show solidarity with the victims of the natural catastrophe and condemned the attacks. Four resolutions expressed sympathies with the earthquake victims, especially in Awaran and Khuzdar, Balochistan. The resolutions called for making collective efforts for rehabilitating the earthquake survivors. However a PPPP legislator’s resolution asking the Prime Minister to return from his UN visit to personally monitor the rescue efforts was also adopted.

The session, spread over six sittings, from 18 till 25 September 2013 lasted 21 hours and 14 minutes. On average each sitting met for three hours and 32 minutes, starting an hour and 50 minute behind schedule.

The Chief Minister was present in three sittings while the Leader of the Opposition attended five. The Speaker presided over 13% of the session time, the Deputy Speaker 86% while the remaining proceedings (1%) were chaired by a member of Panel of Chairpersons.

To conduct treasury’s oversight, lawmakers submitted 38 starred questions to seven ministries / departments; 22 questions were taken up and answered on the floor. Additionally, lawmakers asked 182 supplementary questions.

Lawmakers submitted more questions (15) for the Ministry of Agriculture. For the first time in the 40-year history of the House a draft of new rules of procedure was laid before the House for consideration during the first sitting.

The House considered three MQM sponsored adjournment motions whereby, among other issues the party criticized the law enforcing agencies on malicious targeting of MQM leaders and workers during the operation launched against criminals.

Five private motions moved by a female PML-F lawmaker, were adopted by the House. The motions were on employment opportunities for the disabled and son quotas, training paramedical staff on medical and behavioral subjects, controlling power and gas load-shedding and price hike etcetera.

A privilege motion each was tabled by PPPP, PTI and MQM lawmakers against maltreatment by DIG police, Sukkur, the irresponsive attitude of the municipal commissioner of South district Karachi and the undue delay in consideration of the MPAs agenda, respectively.

Lawmakers spoke on 56 points of orders consuming an hour and 41 minute of the session time. The PML-F lawmakers staged a 33-minute walkout to protest the Chair’s ruling to dispel a party MPA for her alleged unruly behavior during the question hour.

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