ISLAMABAD, February 17, 2015: The Sindh Assembly passed a bill and adopted three resolutions during the 13th sitting of its ongoing session on Tuesday, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).

Seventeen members (10%) were present at the start of the sitting and 41 (24%) at the time of adjournment. The Leader of the House and the Opposition Leader did not attend the sitting.

The House passed the Sindh Institute of Management and Technology Bill 2015 that was introduced by a PPPP lawmaker, while the Sindh Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill 2014 introduced earlier by an MQM lawmaker was sent to the relevant standing committee.

The House adopted three resolutions regarding establishment of Sukkur Development Authority, entry tests of medical colleges through NTS and IBA and steps to ensure safety of passengers using public transport.

An adjournment motion regarding dilapidated condition of Chatori graveyard in Mirpurkhas and a PPPP lawmaker’s privilege motion against a government official’s misbehaviour were also taken up during the sitting.

Following are some key observations of the assembly business:

Members’ Participation in the House Proceedings

• The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and 57 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1039 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
• The Deputy Speaker chaired the sitting for an hour and 49 minutes, while the rest of the proceedings were presided over by the members of the panel of chairpersons.
• The Leader of the House and the Opposition Leader did not attend the sitting.
• 17 members (10%) were present at the start and 41 (24%) at the end of the sitting.
• A maximum of 59 members (35%) were present at one point of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM and PML-F were present.
• Four minority members attended the sitting.
• One member applied for leave.

Output

• The House adopted three resolutions regarding establishment of Sukkur Development Authority, entry tests of medical colleges through NTS and IBA and steps to ensure safety of passengers using public transport.
• The House passed the Sindh Institute of Management and Technology Bill 2015 that was introduced by a PPPP lawmaker.
• The Sindh Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill 2014 introduced earlier by an MQM lawmaker was sent to the relevant standing committee.
• A PML-F lawmaker’s resolution regarding constitution of a special committee to determine the status of all resolutions passed by the House was rejected on the grounds of being “out of order”.
• The House did not take up a resolution to establish cancer diagnostic centers at a tehsil level due to the absence of mover.

Representation and Responsiveness

• Five starred questions appearing on the agenda were taken up and responded by the relevant departments. In addition, the MPAs raised 26 supplementary questions.
• The House took up an adjournment motion regarding the dilapidated condition of Chatori graveyard in Mirpurkhas.
• A PPPP lawmaker’s privilege motion against a government official’s misbehaviour was also taken up and sent to the relevant standing committee.
• The House did not take up five private motions regarding installation of firefighting equipment in buildings, removal of illegal bus stations, action against land grabbers in Karachi, plantation of trees to control pollution and proper security measures for public/private schools.

Order and Institutionalization

• Members spoke on 10 points of order that consumed 19 minutes of the sitting.
• Lawmakers belonging to PML-F and PML-N walked out of the House for 44 minutes to protest the Deputy Speaker’s rejection of PML-F lawmaker’s resolution.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to members, observers and others.

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The daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) – a member organization of FAFEN.