ISLAMABAD, June 29, 2013: The Punjab Assembly’s budget session came to an end during the tenth sitting of its second session with the Passage of its Supplementary Budget 2012-13 amidst walkout by the opposition parties. The house approved 42 supplementary demands for grant.

The opposition parties including PPPP, PML, PTI, JIP and an independent MPA staged a 34 minute walk out of the proceedings refusing to participate in the passage of the Supplementary Budget.

Legislators belonging to PTI, PML, PPPP and a single JI member moved five cut motions. Four of these cut motions were debated by the House. Eleven members debated the cut motions; three members each of JI and PTI and two members of, both, PML and PPPP debated cut motions. None of the cut motions were incorporated in the budget.

The house disposed of two adjournment motions previously moved during the session. The motions were about deaths caused by swimming in rivers and canals in Lahore and other areas and the killing of an eight year old boy by an ice seller in Faisalabad.

Following are some key observations of the proceedings:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Punjab Assembly met for two hours and 53 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1043 hours against the scheduled starting time of 1000 hours, witnessing a delay of 43 minutes.
• The Speaker chaired the sitting for two hours and 53 minutes. The Deputy Speaker also attended the sitting.
• Sixty-three members were present at the outset while 98 were there at the time of adjournment. A maximum of 123 members were present at one time during any point of sitting.
• The Chief Minister was not present while the Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for an hour and three minutes.
• The parliamentary leaders of PML, PMLZ and PPPP, and the only member of JI were present during the sitting.
• The Finance Minister attended the proceedings for two hours and 23 minutes.
• Four minority members attended the sitting.
• None of the members applied for leave.

Output

• The house passed the supplementary budget 2012-13 by approving 42 supplementary demands for grant.
  

Representation and responsiveness

• MPAs belonging to four parties moved five cut motions on the supplementary grants; 34 members of PTI, PML (eight), PPPP (six) and a single JI member moved cut motions. Four of these cut motions were debated by the House. None of the cut motions were incorporated in the budget.
• Eleven members debated the cut motions; three members each of JI and PTI spoke for 25 and 15 minutes, respectively. Additionally two members of both PML (10 minutes) and PPPP (7 minutes) also debated cut motions.
• Two adjournment motions, moved by PTI members during the sitting, were left pending. These were about the regularization of the employees of Greater That Canal and the police assault on people protesting prolonged load shedding in Faisalabad.
• The house disposed of two adjournment motions, moved by PML MPAs during the seventh sitting, after the relevant ministries responded to the motions. The AMs were regarding deaths caused by swimming in rivers and canals and the killing of an eight year old boy by an ice seller in Faisalabad.

Order and Institutionalization

• MPAs spoke on 12 Points of Order for six minutes.
• The opposition parties – PPPP, PML, PTI, JIP and an independent MPA staged a 34 minute walk out of the proceedings refusing to participate in the passage of the Supplementary Budget. They did not return to attend the remaining assembly business.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
• Information on members’ attendance was recorded but 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