ISLAMABAD, January 26, 2018: The Senate adopted a resolution on Friday expressing solidarity with Kashmiris on their struggle for right to self-determination, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the proceedings during the fifth and last sitting of 272^nd session:

 Members’ Participation

• The Senate met for three hours and 25 minutes.
• The sitting started at its scheduled time of 1000 hours.
• The Chairman presided over the entire sitting.
• The Deputy Chairman did not attend the sitting.
• Prime Minister did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the House attended the sitting for two hours and 51 minutes.
• The Leader of the Opposition was present for 48 minutes.
• As many as 13 (12%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 18 (17%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, PTI, PML-F, PkMAP, JI and ANP attended the sitting.
• Two minority lawmakers were present.

Output 

• Introduced by Minister for Science and Technology, the House passed the National University of Technology Bill, 2017.
• Tabled by female MQM lawmaker, the House adopted a resolution expressing solidarity with Kashmiris on their just struggle for right to self-determination.
• A member of the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat presented the report of the Committee regarding the plane crash during the flight from Chitral to Islamabad.
• Chairman, Functional Committee on Devolution presented the report of the Committee on a Public Petition regarding implementation of 18th Constitutional Amendment in the Higher Education Sector confining the role of Federal HEC in formulation of standards and enhancing the legitimate role of Provincial Governments especially in funding and implementation of Higher Education Policy.
• The House approved the amendments to the Rules 79 and 81 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Senate 2012.
• The House approved the insertion of the Chapter X to the Senate Standing Orders.
• The Minister of State for Finance presented the First Quarterly Report for the year 2017-2018 of the Central Board of Directors of the State Bank of Pakistan on the state of Pakistan’s Economy.
• The Secretary Senate informed the lawmakers that the federal cabinet had rejected the recommendation made in a resolution of the Senate to enhance its powers.

 Representation and Responsiveness

• The House granted extension to the Standing Committees on Cabinet Secretariat, Law & Justice, and Finance and the Special Committee on Annual Report of FPSC for presentation of their reports.
• The House took up 14 out of 28 Starred Questions during the Question Hour. The lawmakers asked 31 supplementary questions as well.
• The Chair rejected an Adjournment Motion (AM) regarding killing of two brothers in Sindh and directed the movers of an AM regarding extension of higher courts’ jurisdiction to FATA to raise this issue in the meeting of the Committee of Whole.
• The Chair dropped a Calling Attention Notice (CAN) regarding statement of representatives of United Kingdom and United States of America about minorities in Pakistan due to mover’s absence.
• The House referred the CAN regarding issuance of SRO No. 47(I)/2018, exempting one particular company from payment of Sales Tax and Federal Excise Duty to the Standing Committee on Finance.
• The ministers made statements on five issues of public importance highlighted by the Senators.
• The Ministers for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Science & Technology, Federal Education & Professional Training and Finance & Economic Affairs reported to the House about implementation on the recommendations of the House committees.
• The House did not hold discussion on an AM regarding recent increase in prices of petroleum products.

Order and Institutionalization

• Seven lawmakers spoke on Points of Order consuming 23 minutes of the proceedings.

Transparency

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

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