ISLAMABAD, September 27, 2013: The fifth session of the National Assembly was prorogued on Friday as the House adopted two resolutions and a motion of thanks to express gratitude to the President for his address to the parliament’s joint session during its tenth and final sitting.
The resolutions, moved separately by PML-N lawmakers, were on forming a parliamentary relations group and against the sexual violence against children, respectively. Additionally, the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (Amendment) Bill 2013, moved by the Minister for Parliamentary Affair, was introduced.
The House adopted the motion of thanks to express gratitude to the president for his address to the Parliament on June 10. A PML-N lawmaker shared his views on the motion for eight minutes.
The Speaker chaired the entire sitting. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition did not attend the proceedings while the parliamentary leaders of PkMAP, ANP, and PML were present.
Following are some key observations of the parliamentary business:
Members’ Participation in House Proceedings
- The National Assembly met for two hours and two minutes.
- The sitting started at 1043 hours against the scheduled starting time of 1030 hours, witnessing a delay of 13 minutes.
- The Speaker chaired the entire sitting. The Deputy Speaker was absent.
- The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition did not attend the proceedings. The parliamentary leaders of PkMAP, ANP and PML were present.
- Forty-eight members were present at the outset while 66 were there at the time of adjournment. A maximum of 138 members were present at one point of sitting.
- Five minority members attended the sitting.
- Seventeen members applied for leave.
Output
- Moved by the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (Amendment) Bill 2013 was introduced.
- The House adopted two supplementary resolutions on the formation of a parliamentary relations group and sexual violence against children. Both resolutions were tabled by PML-N lawmakers.
Representation and Responsiveness
- Nine of 21 starred questions on the agenda were taken up and received answers on the floor. Additionally, 19 supplementary questions were asked.
- Two Calling Attention Notices on non-commencement of construction of bridge on River Sutluj between Vehari and Bahawalnagar and regularization of contractual employees in the Federal Government Departments against the quota of the deceased employees’ children were left unaddressed.
- The House adopted the motion of thanks on the presidential address to the parliament on June 10, 2013. A PML-N lawmaker spoke on the motion for eight minutes.
Order and Institutionalization
- MNAs spoke on 15 points of order for 42 minutes.
- No protests, walkouts, boycotts were recorded during the sitting.
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
- Information on members’ attendance was not available to observers and the public.
The 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
