ISLAMABAD, August 16, 2016: The National Assembly did not take up resolutions and Motions under Rule 259 on Private Members’ day, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the proceedings during 12^th sitting of National Assembly’s 34^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The National Assembly met for two hours and 10 minutes.
• The proceedings remained suspended for 29 minutes due to lack of quorum.
• The sitting started at 1037 hours against the scheduled time of 1030 hours.
• The Deputy Speaker presided over the entire sitting while the Speaker was not present.
• The Prime Minister did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the Opposition was present for 45 minutes.
• Twenty-two lawmakers (6%) were present at outset while 93 (27%) at adjournment of the sitting.
• The Parliamentary leaders of PPPP, PkMAP, JI, JUI-F, APML and QWP-S attended the proceedings.
• Nine minority members were present.

Output

• The House referred the General Statistics (Reorganization) (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the Medical Consultancy and Other Services (Rationalization of Fees) Bill 2016 and the Torture, Custodial Death and Custodial Rape (Prevention and Punishment) Bill, 2015 to the relevant standing committees.
• The House deferred the Law Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2015, the Publication of the Holy Quran (Elimination of Printing and Recording Errors) (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) (Amendment) Bill, 2014 while the Political Parties Order (Amendment) Bill, 2013 was dropped due to absence of the mover.
• The Chairman of the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat presented reports of the committee on the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill, 2014, the Right to Compulsory Education and Training in the field of Information Technology Bill, 2015, the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) (Amendment) Bill, 2015.
• The Chairman of the Standing Committee on Commerce presented the report of the committee on the Trade Organizations (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House took up two Calling Attention Notices (CANs) regarding increasing use of tobacco and cancellation of different international routes of PIA.

Order and Institutionalization

• The lawmakers raised three Points of Order consuming 17 minutes of the proceedings.

Transparency

• Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.
• The attendance of lawmakers was available to the media and observers.

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.