ISLAMABAD, November 04, 2013: The eighth session of the Sindh Assembly was prorogued as the House passed the Gorakh Hills Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2013 in its third sitting, on Monday.

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs moved the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Bill, 2013. The House sent the above mentioned government bill and a similar private member bill moved previously by a PPPP lawmaker to a nine-member special committee for scrutiny.

An adjournment motion on deteriorating law and order situation in Hyderabad, jointly moved by three female MQM legislators was taken up and debated by 20 legislators.

The sitting was delayed by almost two hour. The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting whereas the Leader of Opposition was present for only five minutes.

Following are some key observations of the House proceedings:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and two minutes. The House took a three-minute prayer break.
• The sitting started at 1153 hours, witnessing a delay of an hour and 53 minutes against the schedule start time of 1000 hours.
• Fifty-eight Members were present at the time of outset and 84 when the sitting was adjourned.  At one point, a maximum of 93 Members were present in the sitting.
• The Speaker Chaired the entire sitting. The Deputy Speaker was also present for two hours and 15 minutes.
• The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting whereas the Leader of Opposition was present for five minutes.
• The parliamentary leaders of MQM, PTI and PML-N were present.
• None of the Members applied for leave.
• Three Minority Members attended the proceedings.

Output

• The Gorakh Hills Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2013 was passed by the House.
• The Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Bill, 2013 as well as a similar private member’s bill (No. 06), moved previously by a PPPP lawmaker, were referred to a special committee for scrutiny.
  

Representation and Responsiveness

• Five starred questions addressed to the Energy Department on the agenda were taken up on the floor. Additionally, 28 supplementary questions were asked.

• Three female MQM lawmakers sponsored an adjournment motion to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in Hyderabad. Twenty members, including the movers, debated the issue for an hour and 52 minutes.
• The request from a PML-N and MQM member each to raise a supplementary resolution was rejected by the Chair.

Order and Institutionalization

• No point of order was raised during the siting.
• No incidents of protests, walkouts or boycotts were recorded.

Transparency

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

The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), a member organization of FAFEN