Session Prorogued

ISLAMABAD, December 11, 2017: The Provincial Assembly of Balochistan unanimously adopted a resolution on Monday recommending the federal government to take steps to register 12.17 million eligible-age unregistered women on electoral rolls including 600,000 from Balochistan by making their Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs), observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during fourth and last sitting of 46^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The Balochistan Assembly met for two hours and 10 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1620 hours against the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
• The Speaker chaired the entire sitting.
• The Chief Minister attended the entire sitting.
• The Leader of the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
• As many as 16 lawmakers (25%) were present at the outset and 22 (34%) at the adjournment of sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of NP and PML-N were present during the proceedings.
• Two minority members also attended the sitting.
• Nine members applied for leave.

Output

• Tabled by the PkMAP lawmaker, the House unanimously adopted a resolution recommending the federal government to take steps to register 12.17 million eligible-age unregistered women on electoral rolls including 600,000 from Balochistan by making their Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs). Six lawmakers debated this resolution for 21 minutes.
• The House also adopted another resolution for starting Pashtoo service in Bureau office of Associated Press of Pakistan Quetta and regularizing the services of contractual employees there. It was tabled by female PkMAP lawmaker and four lawmakers debated it for 11 minutes.
• The House passed the Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences Bill, 2017.
• A report of Standing Committee on Home and Tribal Affairs regarding jail reforms was adopted by the House.
• Annual Report of the Public Service Commission for the year 2016 was also presented.

 Representation and Responsiveness

• One out of eight starred questions was taken up by the House while remaining seven questions were deferred due to movers’ absence.
• The House took up two Calling Attention Notices (CANs) regarding change in dates for conducting exams of Assistant Commissioners as well as Section Officers and checking drug peddling activities in City Nullah area of Quetta.
• Another two CANs on the agenda were deferred due to the absence of movers.        .

Order and Institutionalization

• The lawmakers spoke on six Points of Order consuming 21 minutes of the proceedings.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
• Attendance of Members was not made public.

This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Balochistan Assembly proceedings conducted by Center for Peace and Development (CPD) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted