ISLAMABAD, August 8, 2012: The second and the last sitting of Sindh Assembly’s 37th session which met for two hours and 11 minutes on Wednesday continued to witness low attendance. Nineteen (11% of 168) Members were present at the start while 86 (51%) were there when the sitting was adjourned. The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting. Nine Points of Order consumed 40 minutes. None of them attracted the Chair’s formal ruling. Unless the Chair gives a formal ruling on a Point of Order, it does not lead to any output. The Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Sakrand Bill 2012 was passed. All four questions appearing on the agenda were taken up and responded to by the relevant ministries. Additionally, 16 supplementary questions were also asked.
The following are some key observations of the parliamentary business.
Members’ Participation in House Proceedings
- The Sindh Assembly met for two hours and 11 minutes.
- The sitting started at 1104 hours instead of the scheduled starting time of 1000 hours. The proceedings were delayed by an hour and four minutes.
- The Deputy Speaker chaired the sitting for an hour and five minutes while the remaining time was presided over by the Speaker.
- The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting.
- The parliamentary leaders of the PPPP, PML (F-B) and MQM were present while those of PML, PMLF, ANP and NPP did not attend the sitting.
- Nineteen (11% of 168) Members were present at the start while 86 (51%) were there when the sitting was adjourned.
- Six minority Members were present during the proceedings.
Representation and Responsiveness
- All four questions appearing on the agenda were taken up and responded to by the relevant ministries. Additionally, 16 supplementary questions were also asked.
Output
- The Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Sakrand Bill 2012 was passed.
Order and Institutionalization
- Nine Points of Order consumed 40 minutes. None of the Points of Order attracted the Chair’s formal ruling.
- There were no instances of protests, boycotts or walkouts.
Transparency
- Orders of the Day were available to Legislators, observers and others.
- Information on Members’ attendance was unavailable to observers and the public.
- The quorum, visibly lacking at various stages during the sitting was not pointed out by any of the Member.
The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), a member organization of FAFEN
