ISLAMABAD, January 13, 2015: Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs gave an in-camera briefing to the Senate about policy of Pakistan on current Saudi-Iran tension, says Free and Fair Election Network.

Some key observations are as follows:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Senate met for four hours and 48 minutes.
• The sitting started at its scheduled time of 1500 hours.
• The Chairman presided over the entire sitting while the Deputy Chairman was also present.
• Prime Minister did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the House attended the entire sitting.
• The Opposition Leader was present for three hours and 48 minutes.
• Federal Ministers for Climate Change; Defense Production; Planning Development and Reform; Commerce; Port and Shipping and State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, CADD and Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs were present.
• 10 (9%) Senators were present at the start and 38 (37%) at the time of adjournment.
• Parliamentary leaders of JUI-F, MQM, PkMAP, BNP-M and PML-N were present.
• Three minority members were present.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The Chair admitted an adjournment motion for discussion regarding concerns of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan on Western route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
• Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs gave an in-camera briefing to the Senate for three hours and 20 minutes about policy of Pakistan on ongoing recent Saudi-Iran tension.
• The House took up a Calling Attention Notice (CAN) about dumping of garbage and waste in Nullah Lai in Islamabad while another CAN regarding low pressure / shortage of gas in various parts of the country was no taken up.
• Seventeen of 22 starred questions appearing on the agenda were taken up. In addition, the lawmakers raised 29 supplementary questions.
• The House passed a motion to adopt the recommendations on the Money Bill aimed to further amend the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 (The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2016).
• Chairman, Standing Committee on Finance presented report of the Committee on starred question No. 42, asked by Senator Mir Israrullah Khan Zehri, on February 27, 2008 regarding the inquiry conducted into the attack on the office of Geo TV, Islamabad in April, 2007 and its findings etc.
• The House did not discuss draft Rules of the Senate Committee on Ethics and draft Code of Conduct for Members of the Senate as prepared by the Special Committee on Ethics.

Transparency

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

To download the factsheet, click here for English Version, click here for Urdu Version

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