• The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill deferred for fifth time

ISLAMABAD, March 30, 2012: Starting 60 minutes behind schedule, the Joint Sitting of the Parliament met for an hour and 23 minutes on Friday, as seven legislators debated the report of the body on security.

Out of the 168 legislators attending the sitting, only seven legislators – five from Senate and two from National Assembly – spoke on the report of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) for 65 minutes (78% of sitting time).

Four bills on the Orders of the Day were not taken up. It included the pro-women Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2009 which was deferred for the fifth time. However, the sitting passed the Modaraba Companies and Modaraba (Floatation and Control) (Amendment) Bill 2009 and the Delimitation of Constituencies (Amendment) Bill 2011.

A total of 78 (from both the Houses) legislators were present at the start while 92 were there when the sitting was adjourned. A maximum of 168 Members were present during one point of the sitting.

Only the Parliamentary Leader of the NPP attended the proceedings.

Legislators’ participation in Parliament proceedings

• The Joint Sitting met for an hour and 23 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1100 hours against the scheduled starting time of 1000 hours. The proceedings started late by 60 minutes.
• The Speaker chaired the sitting for 30 minutes while the remaining time was presided over by the Deputy Speaker.
• The Prime Minister attended the sitting for 23 minutes while the Leader of the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
• Only the parliamentary leader of the NPP was present while those of the ANP, PML, PMLF, BNPA, PPPS and MMAP were absent.
• The Chief Whips of the PPPP, PMLN, MMAP and MQM were present.
• A total of 78 legislators were present at the start and 92 at the end of the sitting. A maximum of 168 Members were present during one point of the sitting.

Representation and Responsiveness

• No Calling Attention Notices appeared on the Orders of the Day

Parliamentary Output

• Two Bills – the Modaraba Companies and Modaraba (Floatation and Control) (Amendment) Bill 2009 and the Delimitation of Constituencies (Amendment) Bill 2011 – were passed by the House.
• The Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fauna and Flora Bill 2010, the Public Defender and Legal Aid Office Bill 2010, the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2009 and the NFC Institute of Engineering and Technology Multan Bill, 2009 were not taken up.
• Seven Legislators – two each of the PPPP, PML and Independent Members and one JUIF – spoke on the report of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security for 65 minutes.

Order and institutionalization

• No Points of Order were raised during the sitting.
• There were no instances of protests, boycotts or walkouts during the sitting.

Transparency

• Orders of the Day were available to legislators, observers and others.
• Information on Legislators’ attendance was unavailable to observers and the public.

The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of National Assembly proceedings conducted by Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), a Member organization of FAFEN.