ISLAMABAD, August 26, 2013: Five Adjournment Motions were tabled in the tenth sitting of fourth session of the Punjab Assembly on Monday.

The Adjournment Motions were on the arrest of PTI leaders and workers protesting against alleged rigging in by-elections in PP-150, substandard quality of colleges, decreasing number of successful candidates in exams, wheat price hike and need to monitor organizations raising funds for flood victim were raised in the House. A legislator debated the motion on the arrest of PTI leaders and workers.

A Calling Attention Notice about a robbery of gold worth Rs30 million was raised in the House. The PTI legislators staged a protest by wearing black armbands against alleged poll rigging in by-elections.

The sitting was chaired by the Speaker. The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting whereas the Leader of Opposition was present during the entire sitting.

Following are some key observations of the House proceedings:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Punjab Assembly met for two hours and 26 minutes. The House took a break of one hour.
• The sitting started at 1702 hours, witnessing a delay of two hour and 02 minutes against the scheduled start time of 1500 hours.
• A total of 93 Members were present at the outset of the sitting and 79 at the end. A maximum of 120 Members were present at one point in the sitting.
• The entire sitting was chaired by the Speaker and Deputy Speaker was present in the sitting.
• The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting whereas the Leader of Opposition was present during the entire sitting.
• The Parliamentary Leaders of JI and PPPP were present.
• None of the Members applied for leave.
• Two Minority Members attended the sitting.

Representation and Responsiveness

• One out of three starred questions about the power and population departments on the orders of day was taken up. Members asked four supplementary questions additionally.
• An APML Member moved a Calling attention Notice on an incident of robbery in Lahore.
• Legislators tabled five Adjournment Motions consuming 10 minutes of the sitting. The Adjournment Motions were on the arrest of PTI leaders and workers protesting against alleged rigging in by-elections in PP-150, substandard quality of colleges, decreasing number of successful candidates in exams, wheat price hike and need to monitor organizations raising funds for flood victim were raised in the House. A legislator debated the motion on the arrest of PTI leaders and workers.
• A PTI legislator submitted a Question of Privilege against the police over arresting and manhandling her.

Order and Institutionalization

• MPAs spoke for one minute on two Points of Orders.
• The PTI legislators staged a protest by wearing black armbands against alleged poll rigging in by-elections.

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 Punjab Assembly proceedings conducted by PATTAN, a member organization of FAFEN