• Session Prorogued

ISLAMABAD, July 20, 2017: The Senate on Thursday held debate on the motion under Rule 218 regarding the report of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) constituted on Panama Papers case and the propaganda against national institutions, including Supreme Court of Pakistan, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the proceedings during last (4^th) sitting of Senate’s 264^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The Senate met for five hours and 50 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1506 hours against its scheduled time of 1500 hours.
• The House took prayer break for 12 minutes.
• The Chairman presided over the entire sitting.
• The Deputy Chairman and the Leader of the House remained absent from the House.
• The Leader of the Opposition attended the proceedings for three hours and 40 minutes.
• Parliamentary leaders of PML-N, PkMAP, PML, PPPP, MQM, ANP, JI and NP attended the sitting.
• Fourteen Senators (13% of the total membership) were present at the outset and 10 (9%) at the end of sitting.
• Three minority Senators also attended the proceedings.

Output

• The House witnessed presentation of two reports of the Standing Committees on Defense and Finance, Revenue Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatization.

Representation and Responsiveness

• Moved jointly by the opposition lawmakers, the House discussed a clubbed motion under Rule 218 regarding the report of JIT constituted by the apex court to probe the Panama Papers case and the propaganda against national institutions, including Supreme Court of Pakistan. As many as 23 Senators expressed their views consuming two hours and 58 minutes. The motion was concluded by the Minister for Law while the Chairman also gave ruling on its admissibility.
• Ten lawmakers spoke for 50 minutes on a motion under Rule 218 regarding inaction of the government on FATA Reforms project approved by the Cabinet and its inability to table legislative proposals for the implementation of reforms in the tribal areas. The motion was concluded by the Minister for SAFRON.
• The House discussed another motion under Rule 218 regarding violation of the Economic Coordination Committee’s decision by the Government of Punjab on the export of wheat flour to Afghanistan. Four lawmakers spoke on it for 12 minutes while the Minister for National Food Security and Research concluded the discussion.

Order and Institutionalization

• A PkMAP lawmaker spoke on a matter of public importance for one minute regarding payment of honorarium to government servants who performed their duties during budget session.

Transparency

• Orders of the Day was available to the legislators, observers and public.
• The attendance of lawmakers is available on Senate’s website.

This daily factsheet is based on the direct observation of Senate proceedings conducted by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Errors and omissions are excepted.