ISLAMABAD, August 10, 2015: The Sindh Assembly left most of the agenda unaddressed owing to heated argument between treasury and the opposition during second sitting of its 21st session on Monday, says Free and Fair Election Network in its daily factsheet.
The Speaker announced the suspension of proceedings for ten minutes following MQM lawmakers’ protest in front of his rostrum and around the seat of Chief Minister against the assassination of a party worker and PPPP lawmakers’ attempt to disperse them. However, the sitting resumed after 28 minutes.
PPPP lawmakers protested for nearly a minute when a female MQM lawmaker attempted to read a resolution against PPPP co-chairperson instead of taking up her own Adjournment Motion, which was part of sitting’s agenda. The Speaker adjourned the sitting amidst the PPPP protest.
The sitting started an hour and 46 minutes behind the schedule with 82 (49%) lawmakers present at the start and 103 (61%) at the time of adjournment.
The House did not take up three government bills that appeared on the agenda, which included the Sindh Zakat and Ushr (Amendment) Bill 2015, the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University Larkana (Amendment) Bill 2015 and the Malir University of Science and Technology Karachi Bill 2015.
An Adjournment Motion and a Privilege Motion appearing on the Orders of the Day were not taken up. However, the House took up two Calling Attention Notices (CANs); one to demand the establishment of relief camps in the wake of flood situation and the other to discuss the failure to convene the first ever meeting of Sindh Higher Education Commission, established after 18th amendment.
Following are some key observations of the assembly business:
Members’ Participation in the House Proceedings
- The Sindh Assembly met for two hours and 46 minutes
- The sitting started at 1146 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours
- The Speaker presided over the entire sitting while the Deputy Speaker was also present
- The Chief Minister attended the sitting for 22 minutes
- The Opposition Leader was present for 62 minutes
- Eighty-two members (49%) were present at the start and 103 (61%) at the time of adjournment
- A maximum of 106 members (63%) were present at one point of the sitting
- The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PML-N and PTI were present
- Five out of nine minority members attended the sitting
- Five members applied for leave
Representation and Responsiveness
- All seven questions appearing on the agenda were taken up and responded by the relevant departments. In addition, the lawmakers raised 32 supplementary questions
- The House took up two CANs; one to demand the establishment of relief camps in the wake of flood situation and the other to protest the failure to convene the first ever meeting of Sindh Higher Education Commission, established after 18th amendment
Order and Institutionalization
- Four Points of Order (POs) consumed 13 minutes of the sitting
- MQM members protested twice within the House for 13 minutes over alleged target killing of one of their party worker
- PPPP lawmakers protested for nearly a minute when a female MQM lawmaker attempted to read a resolution against PPPP co-chairperson instead of taking up her own Adjournment Motion, which was part of sitting’s agenda
Transparency
- ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the members, observers and public
- Information on members’ attendance was available to the observers and public
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This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.
