ISLAMABAD, August 21, 2017: The Senate on Monday passed two private members’ bills and referred 21 other legislative proposals to the relevant Standing Committees after their introduction on floor of the House, observes the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its daily Factsheet.

The newly-elected PML-N and PPPP lawmakers took oath of the membership.

Following are key observations of the proceedings of first sitting of 266^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The Senate met for five hours and forty minutes while the proceedings remained suspended for 18 minutes due to prayer break.
• The sitting started at its scheduled time of 1500 hours.
• The Chairman presided over the entire sitting while the Deputy Chairman was also present.
• The Prime Minister attended the sitting for 29 minutes.
• The Leader of the House attended the sitting for four hours and three minutes.
• The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for an hour and 27 minutes.
• Parliamentary leaders of PPPP, PML-N, MQM, BNP-M, NP, JUI-F and PTI attended the sitting.
• Twenty-seven members (26% of the total membership-104) were present at the outset and 25 (24%) at the end of sitting.
• Three minority Senators attended the sitting.

Output

• A member of the Functional Committee on Human Rights presented the report of the committee on missing persons of Attock and Badin.
• The House granted 60-day extension to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice for presentation of its report on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017] (Amendment of Article 255).

• The House referred 21 Private Members’ bills to the relevant standing committees. These bills included the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Article 63A); the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-smokers Health (Amendment) Bill, 2017; the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2017; the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (introduced by PPPP lawmaker); the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of section 4 to set up rehabilitation centers); the National Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2017; the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2017; the Prevention of Witchcraft Bill, 2017; the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Article 228); the Islamabad Restriction on Employment of Children Bill, 2017; the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill, 2017; the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (moved by PML-N lawmaker); the Islamabad Club Administration and Management Bill, 2017; the Criminal Laws (Amendment) (Protection of Rights of Transgender Persons) Bill, 2017; the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2017 (two bills with identical names); the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Article 63A); the Miscarriage of Justice (Compensation) Bill, 2017; the Islamabad Gun and Country Club (Administration and Management) Bill, 2017; the Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the International Islamic University (Amendment) Bill, 2017.

• The House rejected the motions seeking leaving to introduce the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of section 4 to obligate the state to provide two meals to every citizen); the Constitution (Amendment), Bill, 2017 (Insertion of new Article 25B) and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
• The House deferred the introduction of the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Interest on Private Loans Bill, 2017 and consideration of the Ehtram-e-Ramazan (Amendment) Bill, 2017; the Islamabad Capital Territory Senior Citizens Welfare Bill, 2017 and the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of sections 292, 293 and 294) on request of the mover of these bills.
• The House dropped the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017 standing on the name of a PML-N lawmaker.
• The House passed the Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
• The concerned lawmakers withdrew the Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Article 101).

• The House adopted a motion to refer the Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill, 2017 to the joint sitting of the Parliament for consideration. Another bill namely the Corporate Rehabilitation Bill, 2016 included in the agenda for referral to the joint sitting was deferred.
• The Chair informed the lawmakers that the relevant standing committees had reported back on 14 bills namely the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of sections 80 and 82); the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of sections 154 and 156 and Insertion of new section 154A); the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of sections 46 and 57); the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Fourth Schedule); the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Article 70); the Islamabad Rent Restriction (Amendment) Bill, 2017; the Islamabad Consumers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2017; the Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill, 2017; the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Article 37); the Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill, 2017; the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017; the National Health Care Bill, 2017; the Defamation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of section 2).
• The lawmakers were also informed that the Trafficking in Persons Bill, 2016; the Smuggling of Migrants Bill, 2016; the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (Insertion of new sections 320A and 337JJ); the Islamabad Restriction on Employment of Children Bill, 2016; the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (Amendment of section 364A) and the Islamabad Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2016 have been withdrawn from the committees under Rule 166 (3).
• The House recommend four resolutions to launch a special channel of the state Television (PTV) to broadcast parliamentary proceedings of Federal and provincial legislatures; improve the quality of front page of Pakistani official passports and to increase its pages; help the people affected by recent rains and floods in Balochistan on immediate basis and construct more small Hydro-electric dams.
• A resolution for reserving seats for Balcoh students in Cadet Colleges was disposed of for being Provincial subject while another resolution about immediate removal of Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) was deferred for further consideration on it as per SECP’s laws.
• The amendments proposed in the Senate rules 64 and 93 were referred to the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedure.

Representation and Responsiveness

• Thirteen lawmakers discussed a motion under Rule 218 regarding the overall position of hunger in Pakistan. The Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research concluded the discussion that consumed an hour and 11 minutes.
• Thirteen lawmakers took part in the discussion on a motion under Rule 218 regarding protection of rights of women consuming 40 minutes of the proceedings.
• Other motions discussed by the House were regarding devaluation of the Pakistani rupee; alarming rise in trade deficit; need for political reforms in Gilgit-Baltistan and overall performance of Ministry of Housing and Works.

Order and Institutionalization 

• The lawmakers did not raise any point of order.

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