ISLAMABAD, August 29, 2013: The seventh sitting of the fifth session of the Balochistan Assembly was adjourned due to lack of quorum on Thursday. The sitting lasted 54 minutes.

Seventeen MPAs were present at the beginning and 13 at the end of the proceedings. After the ANP parliamentary leader pointed out the lack of quorum, the Chair ordered the assembly bells to be rung for five minutes and suspended the proceedings for 30 minutes. Later the proceedings were adjourned when the quorum was found incomplete.

The House did not take up any private members’ agenda on the List of Business, including the question hour, five resolutions and a general discussion on the state of education and low attendance of government officials in Balochistan.

The resolutions not taken up were on ensuring 80% jobs for Balochistan residents in the Riko Dek Project, abolition of interest-based financial system, reconstruction of the Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan Road, permission to set up sugar mills in the province, and the sale of CNG in Balochistan at rates higher than other provinces.

The Speaker presided over the 54-minute sitting. The Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition and all parliamentary leaders, except ANP’s, were absent.

Following are some key observations of the House proceedings:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Balochistan Assembly met for 54 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1147 hours, witnessing a delay of 47 minutes against the scheduled start time of 1100 hours.
• Seventeen members were present at the outset of the sitting and 13 at the end.
• The entire sitting was chaired by the Speaker. The Deputy Speaker was not present.
• The Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition as well as all parliamentary leaders, except ANP’s, were absent.
• Four members applied for leave.
• Two minority MPAs attended the sitting.

Output

• Five resolutions on the agenda were not taken up. The resolutions were on ensuring 80% jobs for Balochistan residents in the Riko Dek Project, abolition of interest-based financial system, reconstruction of the Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan Road, permission to set up sugar mills in the province, and the sale of CNG in Balochistan at rates higher than other provinces.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The Question Hour was not held.
• The House did not have a general discussion on the state of education and low attendance of government officials in Balochistan.

Order and Institutionalization

• A single Point of Order raised by a JUI-F MPA consumed a minute of the proceedings.
• An ANP legislator pointed out the lack of quorum. The Speaker ordered for the assembly bells to be rung for five minutes and suspended the proceedings for 30 minutes. He later adjourned the sitting when the quorum was not complete on both occasions.

Transparency

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

The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of Balochistan Assembly proceedings conducted by Center for Peace and Development (CPD), a Member organization of FAFEN.