The 99th session of the Senate was marked by the passage of a private member’s bill and the adoption of four resolutions as senators displayed low interest in the proceedings in terms of their attendance and participation, leaving behind two-fifth of the agenda on the Orders of the Day unaddressed.

The House passed the first bill of the bicameral Parliament after the National Assembly passed the mandatory Finance Bill in June. The objectives of the private member’s bill – the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2013 – moved by an ANP lawmaker, state that “the civil servant holding dual nationality or citizenship of any foreign country should not be entitled for promotion to posts in Basic Pay Scale 20 or equivalent and above, to ensure the loyalty of senior bureaucrats “holding influential and sensitive posts”.

In addition, three anti-terrorism ordinances: The Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 (Ordinance

No.VII); the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 (Ordinance No.VIII) and the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance, 2013, were presented before the House.

To provide for the formation of a Functional Committee on Human Rights, the House unanimously approved amendments in Rules 158 and 161 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business (2012) of the Senate. The amendment to the rules was sponsored by a PPPP senator.

Four out of 11 resolutions appearing on the agenda were adopted by the House. Two of the adopted resolutions, tabled by PML-N lawmakers, were on expressing grief over the death of ex-Senator Muhammad Mukhtar Ahmad Khan and South African leader Nelson Mandela. The House also adopted a PPPP-sponsored resolution over the increasing incidents of rape, particularly of minor girls nationwide.

Additionally, Senate debated two resolutions; the first recommending government to publish names of the judges of superior judiciary holding dual nationality and the second calling upon the government to construct new water reservoirs in order to meet the water shortage in the country. Moved by an MQM lawmaker the earlier resolution was adopted by the House.

Six standing committee reports were presented before the House on legislative scrutiny, privilege motions, committee performance and visits of lawmakers to Turkey. The Defence and Defence Production committee submitted two reports while a single report each were laid by the Standing Committees on Cabinet Secretariat and Capital Administration and Development; Foreign Affairs, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan; Rules of Procedure and Privileges; and Climate Change.

The House left 41% (21 out of 51) agenda items on the Orders of the Day, unaddressed. Nearly 60% (16 of 27 items) of the private member’s agenda on the Orders of the Day was not taken up as it was set ambitiously. More agenda items wanted the House to debate various issues on motions tabled under rule 218. The House set aside its regular agenda to take up two resolutions, a motion under rule 218 and a question of privilege that appeared as supplementary agenda.

The 13-sitting Senate session was spread over December 2 till December 20, 2013, consuming 33 hours and 47 minutes. On average, each sitting spanned two hours and 36 minutes, observing a 40-minute delay. The House took four breaks taking up 6% (115 minutes) of the proceedings’ time.

Since the Senate Secretariat does not make public the attendance of senators, FAFEN conducts a headcount at the start and end of each sitting. Low attendance was observed during the sitting as, on average, 17 lawmakers were observed at the start, 32 at the adjournment and 37 at the time of maximum attendance during a sitting.

Parliamentarians evinced low interest in terms of their participation in debates, attendance and the submission of agenda on the Orders of the Day. As many as 59% lawmakers (61 senators) participated during the session, while only 10 legislators tabled agenda, 28 took part in the House debates and 23 others tabled as well as debated the House business.

Bypassing the regular agenda of the fifth sitting, the House held a 57-minute discussion to pay tribute to South Africa’s first black President. The Leader of the House offered condolences for the deceased leader while 16 other senators eulogized the services of the late President for his services to humanity.

The House debated five motions under rule 218 regarding procedure laid down for appointment of superior court judges; steps required to be taken by the government to address the growing water scarcity in the country; the recent price-hike specially the prices of petroleum products, gas, electricity and other essential items; and the government’s foreign policy on various matters.

During the eleventh sitting, the finance minister briefed the House for 22 minutes on the government’s policy statement on the loans taken from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The parliamentary leaders of ANP and MQM were more regular as both attended 12 sittings, followed by BNP-A and JUI-F parliamentary heads (four sittings each) while PML parliamentary leader attended three. Of the single member parties, PML-F and NP members were present in three sittings each while the PkMAP member in two.

The Chairman presided over 58% (19 hours and 33 minutes) of the session while the remaining time was chaired by the Deputy Chairman. The Leader of the House attended 12 sittings for nearly 30 hours while the Leader of the Opposition attended 10 sittings for 22 hours and 16 minutes.

Ministerial absence was observed in the Question Hour. Only 39% of 205 questions – 189 starred and 16 unstarred – appearing on the agenda were taken up and answered by the relevant ministries. Additionally, legislators asked 244 supplementary questions.

The House took up three calling attention notices on the delimitation of constituencies for the upcoming local government elections, the government proposal of closing down 450 small Railway stations and auction of Railway land and the alleged involvement of Islamabad Police personnel in criminal activities.

A total of 79 points of order were raised which consumed 13% of the session time. Three privilege motions, tabled separately by two ANP and one PPPP lawmakers, were referred to the relevant committees.

The House witnessed six token walkouts by the opposition consuming 27 minutes of the session time. The protests were regarding unsatisfactory answers provided by ministers during the Question hour, discriminatory coverage of members’ speeches on state owned television channel (PTV), privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills, delay in calling of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting, and non-provision of natural gas to Zhob, Balochistan

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