ISLAMABAD, January 8, 2020: The National Assembly skipped 58 percent agenda on Wednesday and referred 16 private members’ bills to the relevant committees for their consideration, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during the 6^th sitting of 18^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The National Assembly met for three hours 56 minutes; however, the proceedings remained suspended for 15 minutes due to absence of relevant ministers during question hour and for 22 minutes owing prayer break.
• The sitting started at 1639 hours against the scheduled time of 1600 hours.
• A member of Panel of Chairpersons presided over the entire sitting in the absence of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
• The Leader of the House (Prime Minister) and the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
• As many as 69 (20%) were present at the outset and 42 (12%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of JWP, PPPP, PML-N and BAP attended the sitting.
• Six out of 10 minority lawmakers were present.

Output

• A PTI lawmaker introduced the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The motion seeking leave to move the bill was passed with majority vote as 85 members voted in favor of the motion and 69 members opposed it.
• Sixteen other private members’ bills were moved in the House after adopting motions through voice voting seeking leave for their introduction. These bills were the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Article 31); the Minorities Educational Seats Bill, 2020; the Institute of Art and Culture (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Article 251); the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020] (Section 510); the Women in Distress and Detention Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020] (Amendment in Third Schedule); the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Article 140A); the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Section 292); the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2020] (Section 206 & 208); the Minorities Access to Higher Education Bill, 2020; the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Section 427 to 429, 435 to 440, 447 to 458, 461, 462 and Schedule II of CrPC); the Juvenile Justice System (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Islamic Development Bank (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
• A bill – the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 – was not opposed by the government but the House rejected the motion seeking leave for its introduction through voice voting.
• A PML-N lawmaker withdrew his three bills seeking an amendment in Article 89 and two various amendments in Article 213 of the Constitution.
• Sponsored by a PPPP lawmaker, a bill –the Islamabad High Court (Amendment) Bill, 2020 – was withdrawn by its mover.
• Three bills including the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Articles 1, 51, 59, 106, 175A, 198 and 218; the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Article 223) and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Article 51) were deferred on the request of their movers.
• The Chair deferred the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Amendment in Third Schedule) and the Institute for Bioresources Research Bill, 2020 despite absence of movers’ from the House at the time of consideration of these bills.
• A bill – the Trade Organizations (Amendment) Bill, 2020 – was dropped due to the absence of the mover.
• Fifty-five (55) other bills were not considered as the Chair declined the request of the mover who wanted to club all these bills for their introduction in one go.
• The House also did not consider amendments in Rules 61 and 91 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in National Assembly 2007, seven other bills, five resolutions and as many motions under Rule 259 and discussion on a matter of urgent public importance under Rule 87.
• Twenty-one (21) reports of the various Standing Committees on bills were presented in the House. These legislative proposals included the National Database and Registration Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Articles 51 and 106); the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill, 2019; the Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019]; the Chemical Fertilizers (Development Surcharge) (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Islamabad Club (Administration) (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Articles 1, 51, 59, 106, 154, 175A, 198 and 218); the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Articles 1, 51, 59, 106, 175A and 218); the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Articles 1, 51, 59, 106, 154, 175A, 198 and 218); the Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the National Commission on the Status of Women (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Articles 25B, 51,63B, 92 and 106); the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Articles 51, 76 and 106); the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Articles 51 and 59); the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Article 31) and two identical bills seeking amendments in(Articles 51 and 106 of the Constitution.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House took up a Calling Attention Notice (CAN) regarding non-installation of bio-metric system in District Buner for Hujjaj as well as Umarah pilgrims.
• Another CAN on the agenda was dropped due to the absence of its movers. It was regarding problems being faced by the sugarcane growers due to non purchase of sugarcane on support price.
• The House took up nine out of 34 questions while the lawmakers asked 18 supplementary questions.
• Order and Institutionalization
• As many as five lawmakers spoke on points of order for nine minutes.
• An MMAP lawmaker pointed out the quorum at 1941 hours but he did not insist for counting after the request of Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and the Chair also ignored it.
• The House was adjourned to meet again on January 9, 2020 (Thursday) at 1100 hours.

Transparency

• Orders of the Day was available to the legislators, observers and public.
• Attendance of the lawmakers is available on the National Assembly’s website.

This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the National Assembly proceedings conducted by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Errors and omissions are excepted