ISLAMABAD, January 23, 2019: The Provincial Assembly of Sindh passed the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2019 amid protest by opposition lawmakers on Wednesday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during 10^th sitting of the fourth session:

Members’ Participation

• The Assembly met for two hours and 31 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1124 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the sitting for two hours and 11 minutes while the Deputy Speaker chaired the rest of the sitting.
• The Leader of the House did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for two hours and one minute.
• As many as 71 lawmakers (42%) were present at outset and 69 lawmakers (41%) at adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, PTI, TLP and MMAP attended the sitting.
• As many as seven out of nine minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Output

• Moved by Minister for Local Government, the House passed the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2019. As many as three lawmakers debated the bill for nine minutes. The bill was considered right after its introduction without its referral to a committee. According to Rule 100(3) of the Sindh Rules of Procedure, at least three clear days shall intervene between the issue of copies of the Bill to members and the motion for consideration of the bill.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The Minister for Labour and Human Resources responded to five out of six Starred Questions while the remaining one question was not taken up. The lawmakers asked 27 supplementary questions as well while the Chair disallowed two supplementary questions.

• The Ministers for Parliamentary Affairs, Education and Local Government responded to five Call Attention Notices (CANs) regarding revival of sick industrial units; non-functioning of Sindh Higher Education Commission; supply of contaminated water in various areas of Karachi; water shortage in North Karachi and garbage dumping in Malir River.
• The House did not address the two CANs regarding payment of vehicle tax and incomplete development work on a housing scheme of Hyderabad Development Authority (HAD).
• An Adjournment Motion of PPPP lawmaker regarding ban on new gas connections lapsed due to the absence of mover.

Order and Institutionalization

• A lawmaker spoke on a Point of Order for two minutes.
• The lawmakers belonging to PPPP staged a two-minute protest against a supplementary question raised by the Leader of Opposition.
• The lawmakers belonging to PTI, GDA and MQMP staged a five-minute protest against the passage of Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2019 without referring it to the committee. Subsequently, they walked out from the proceedings and did not return till the adjournment.
• The House was adjourned to meet again on January 24, 2019 (Thursday) at 1000 hours.

Transparency

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

This Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of the Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.