ISLAMABAD, February 10, 2015: The National Assembly left 61% of the agenda items unaddressed on Tuesday as the sitting was adjourned due to lack of quorum amid boycott against increase in GST on petroleum products and other commodities.

Fifty-one (15%) lawmakers were present at the start of the sitting and 42 (12%) at the time of adjournment.

As many as four bills were introduced during the sitting and referred to the relevant standing committees. These included the Pakistan Private Courier Services Regulatory Authority Bill 2015, the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2015, the Compulsory Education for Arabic Bill 2015 and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2015.

The House failed to consider the Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) Amendment Bill 2015. In addition, amendments proposed to Rules 48, 69 and 112 of the National Assembly’s Rules of Procedure were also left unaddressed.

The House did not take up five resolutions regarding polio eradication, ad-hoc allowances of government employees, electricity theft, lifting the ban on YouTube and establishment of a women’s varsity in Swat. Similarly, five motions to discuss increasing corruption in federal government departments, spread of tuberculosis, increasing deficit of Pakistan Steel Mills, climate change and Hajj policy were also left unaddressed.

The House failed to take up a calling attention notice (CAN) regarding discontinuation of Bolan mail train’s stopover in Naudero. Following are some key observations of the House proceedings:

Members’ Participation in the House Proceedings

• The National Assembly met for an hour and 41 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1129 hours against the scheduled time of 1100 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the sitting for 17 minutes, while the remaining proceedings were chaired by the Deputy Speaker.
• The Prime Minister did not attend the sitting, while the Opposition Leader was present for 46 minutes.
• Fifty-one (15%) lawmakers were present at the start and 42 (12%) at the end of the sitting. A maximum of 135 (39%) MNAs were present.
• The parliamentary leaders of PML-Z, MQM, APML, ANP, JI and QWP attended the sitting.
• Five out of 10 minority members were present.
• Eleven members applied for leave.

Output

• As many as four bills were introduced during the sitting and referred to the relevant standing committees. These included the Pakistan Private Courier Services Regulatory Authority Bill 2015, the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2015, the Compulsory Education for Arabic Bill 2015 and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2015.
• The House did not consider the Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) Amendment Bill 2015.
• The Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights presented a report on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2014. The bill, introduced by a JUI-F lawmaker, was rejected by the House by majority vote.
• The House did not take up five resolutions regarding polio eradication, ad-hoc allowances of government employees, electricity theft, lifting the ban on YouTube and establishment of a women’s varsity in Swat.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House took up a CAN jointly sponsored by JUI-F and PML-N lawmakers regarding non-payment of salary to PIA employees on time.
• Another CAN regarding discontinuation of Bolan mail train’s stopover in Naudero was not taken up during the sitting.
• Five motions to discuss increasing corruption in federal government departments, spread of tuberculosis, increasing deficit of Pakistan Steel Mills, climate change and Hajj policy were left also unaddressed.

Order and Institutionalization

• Three points of order consumed 58 minutes of the proceedings’ time.
• Opposition members along with MQM and the parliamentary leader of QWP boycotted the sitting against increase in GST on petroleum products and other commodities at 1240 hours.
• A JUI-F lawmaker walked out the House at 1308 hours after the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2014 was rejected by the House.
• The quorum was pointed out by a PML-N lawmaker at 1309 hours, which led to the sitting’s adjournment.

Transparency

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

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This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of FAFEN and in no way reflect the views of the European Union. This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the National Assembly proceedings conducted by Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.