ISLAMABAD, December 22, 2015: The Senate witnessed introduction of two government bills and an ordinance, adoption of a resolution and debate on two adjournment motions on Tuesday during seventh sitting of its ongoing 122nd session, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Some key observations are as follows:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Senate met for three hours and 19 minutes while also taking a prayer-break for 19 minutes.
• The sitting started at its scheduled time of 1500 hours.
• The Chairman presided over the entire sitting while the Deputy Chairman was not present.
• Prime Minister did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the House did not attend the sitting.
• The Opposition Leader attended the sitting for an hour and 32 minutes.
• Federal Ministers for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage, National Food Security & Research, Defence Production, Commerce, Petroleum & Natural Resources and Climate Change and State Ministers for Water & Power, Religious Affairs, Interior & Narcotics Control and Parliamentary Affairs were present.
• 13 (13%) Senators were present at the start and 26 (26%) at the time of adjournment.
• Parliamentary Leaders of MQM, PPPP, PkMAP, PML-N, NP, JI, BNP-M and JUI-F were present.
• One minority member was present.
• Seven members applied for leave.

Output

• The Minister for Law and Justice laid before the House the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015.
• The House witnessed the introduction of the Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Pakistan Health Research Council Bill, 2015. These bills were referred to the relevant Standing Committees.
• In connection with the International Day of Working Women, the House adopted a resolution to pay tribute to the role of working women.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House took up all 21 starred questions appearing on the agenda. Additionally, the members asked 36 supplementary questions.
• The House admitted for discussion an adjournment motion regarding the dismantling of Tuwairqi Steel Mills Limited (TSML).
• The House adopted a motion seeking to designate the Functional Committee on Human Rights as Standing Committee on Human Rights in light of the bifurcation of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights into two Ministries namely Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Human Rights
• The Minister of State for Water & Power responded to the Calling Attention Notice (CAN) regarding dubious process of appointment of a person in IESCO.
• The Minister of State for Interior & Narcotics Control responded to the CAN regarding termination of 450 contractual employees of NADRA.
• One lawmaker and the Federal Minister for Petroleum & Natural Resources debated for 20 minutes an adjournment motion regarding transfer of Pakistan Steel Mills’ land to Sui Southern Gas Company Limited.
• Twelve Senators including the Chairman and the Federal Minister for Petroleum & Natural Resources debated for 63 minutes an adjournment motion regarding prolonged gas load shedding in Quetta.
• The Secretary of the Senate announced that 48 Public Petitions were received and eleven of those were referred to the relevant standing committees, 28 were declared inadmissible while remaining were being scrutinized.

Order and Institutionalization

• Ten lawmakers spoke on Points of Order consuming 13 minutes of the proceeding.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.

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This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Senate proceeding conducted by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Errors and omissions are excepted.