ISLAMABAD, June 18, 2015: The Sindh Assembly continued debate on the Provincial Budget 2015-16, as fifteen lawmakers expressed their views on Thursday, reports Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

The sitting started 62 minutes behind the schedule with 20 members (12%) present at the start and 52 (31%) at the time of adjournment. The Chief Minister and the Opposition Leader attended the sitting.

Fifteen lawmakers – six belonging to MQM, five PPPP, three PML-F and one PML-N – expressed their views on the provincial budget that took up 179 minutes.

Following are some key observations of the assembly business:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and 38 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1102 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
• 20 members (12%) were present at the start and 52 (31%) at the end of the proceedings.
• A maximum of 68 members (40%) were present at one point of the sitting.
• The Speaker chaired the sitting for 141 minutes.
• The Deputy Speaker presided over the remaining time of the proceedings.
• The Chief Minister attended the sitting for an hour and 11 minutes.
• The Opposition Leader was present for 85 minutes.
• The Finance Minister attended the entire sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PML-F and MQM were present.
• Six non-Muslim members were present.
• One member applied for leave.

Representation and Responsiveness

• Fifteen lawmakers – six belonging to MQM, five PPPP, three PML-F and one PML-N – expressed their views on budget that took up 179 minutes.

Order and Institutionalization

• Five points of order consumed six minutes of the sitting.
• MQM lawmakers walked out of the House for 14 minutes when the Chair did not allow them to table a resolution against the remarks of Federal Minister for Defence during his speech in National Assembly. Earlier, they protested within the House for one minute on the same issue.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the members, observers and the public.
• Information on members’ attendance was also available to the observers and the public.

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This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.