ISLAMABAD, February 27, 2015: Starting 40 minutes behind the schedule, the first sitting of the Senate’s 111th session took up all agenda items amid low attendance of lawmakers, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its daily factsheet.

Eleven senators (11%) were present at the start of the sitting and eight (8%) at the time of adjournment. The Leader of the House, the Opposition Leader and the parliamentary leaders of PML-N, ANP, PPPP, MQM, PML-F, BNP-A and JUI-F did not attend the sitting.

The House witnessed the presentation of five standing committee reports and decided to wind up the debate on the president’s address to both house of the Parliament in the upcoming week.

Opposition parties along with JUI-F and lawmakers from FATA staged a joint walkout to protest the diversion of Pak-China Economic Corridor’s original route. Following are some key observations of the House proceedings:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Senate met for one hour and 32 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1040 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
• The Chairman presided over the entire sitting. The Deputy Chairman was absent.
• Leader of the House and the Opposition Leader did not attend the sitting.
• Eleven members (11%) were present at the start and eight (8%) at the end of the sitting.
• A maximum of 40 senators (38%) were present at one point of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PkMAP, JUI-F and NP attended the sitting.
• Two minority members were present.
• Five members applied for leave.

Output

• A PPPP lawmaker presented a report regarding the Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill 2014.
• A PML-N lawmaker presented another report regarding the Privatization Commission (Amendment) Bill 2013.
• An ANP lawmaker also presented a report prepared by the Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications regarding a point of order (PO) raised by Senator Pervez Rashid on January 24, 2012.
• Another report prepared by the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat and Capital Administration and Development Division for July 2013 to December 2014 was presented by a PML-N lawmaker.
• The 1st report of the Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony for July 2012 to November 2014 was also presented by a PML-N lawmaker.

Representation and Responsiveness                    

• Fourteen out of 45 starred questions were taken up during the sitting. Additionally, the senators raised 34 supplementary questions.
• The State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs spoke on a motion of thanks regarding the president’s address to both houses of the parliament on June 2, 2014 for one minute. The House decided to wind up the debate in the upcoming week.

Order and Institutionalization

• Seven POs consumed 10 minutes of the sitting.
• Opposition parties along with JUI-F and lawmakers from FATA staged a joint walkout for two minutes to protest the diversion of Pak-China Economic Corridor’s original route.

To download the document, click here

This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of FAFEN and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Senate proceedings conducted by PATTAN Development Organization – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.