ISLAMABAD, January 31, 2017: The National Assembly referred eight Private Members’ Bills to committees while rejecting the motions for leave to introduce seven other bills on Tuesday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the proceedings during fourth sitting of the 39^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The National Assembly met for two hours and 50 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1034 hours against the scheduled time of 1030 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and ten minutes while a member of Panel of Chairpersons presided over the rest of proceedings.
• The Leader of the House (Prime Minister) and the Leader of the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
• Twenty-four lawmakers (7%) were present at the outset and 32 (9%) at the adjournment of sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, PkMAP, JI, ANP, PMLZ, APML and AMLP attended the sitting.
• Six minority members were present.

Output

• The lawmakers belonging to MQM, PML-N, JUI-F and JI introduced the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Compulsory Solid Waste Management and Recycling Bill, 2017, the Health Insurance Scheme for Disabled Persons Bill, 2017, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment in Article 37), the Poisons (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Indus River System Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2017. The House referred these eight bills to relevant standing committees.
• The House rejected the motions for leave to introduce the National Database and Registration Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment in Article 156), the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the National Commission for Child Rights Bill, 2017 and the Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
• The House deferred the introduction of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment in Article 37) and the Trade Organizations (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
• The House could not take up the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Compulsory Sewage Water Management and Reprocessing Bill, 2017, and the Political Parties Order (Amendment) Bill, 2013 due to absence of the movers.
• The House deferred the consideration of the Compulsory Blood Test of the Relatives of Thalassemia Patient Bill, 2014 till next Private Members’ day.
• Chairman Standing Committee on Law and Justice presented the reports of the committee on the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2015, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (Amendment in Article 92), the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2015, the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2015, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2016, (Amendment in Article 11) and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2015], (Amendment in Article 175). The House condoned the delay in presentation of these reports.
• A member of the Standing Committee on Human Rights presented the report of the committee on the National Commission on the Status of Women (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The House condoned the delay in presentation of the report.
• The House deferred and Amendment in Rule 224 of the Rules of Procedure.
• Six lawmakers spoke on a resolution regarding performance of Pakistan Television (PTV).
• Moved by Minister for Law and Justice, the House approved a motion allowing the treasury to transact Government Business on Private Members’ Day. Following the motion, the Chairman Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatization presented the report of the committee on the Companies Bill, 2016.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House took up a Calling Attention Notice (CAN) regarding supply of toxic milk in Islamabad while another CAN was not addressed.
• The House did not take up Motions under Rule 259 appearing on agenda.

Order and Institutionalization

• The lawmakers spoke on five Points of Order consuming ten minutes of the proceedings.

Transparency

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

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