Govt Introduces Universities (Amendment) Bill in KP Assembly

ISLAMABAD, April 9, 2019: The Provincial Assembly of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) witnessed the introduction of the Universities (Amendment) Bill,2019 on Tuesday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during 13th sitting of the sixth session:

Members’ Participation

  • The Assembly met for two hours and 24 minutes.
  • The sitting started at 1447 hours against the scheduled time of 1330 hours.
  • The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and 23 minutes while a member of Panel of Chairpersons presided over the rest of the sitting.
  • The Deputy Speaker did not attend the sitting.
  • The Leader of the House was not present.
  • The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for an hour and 43 minutes.
  • As many as 41 MPAs (33%) were present at the outset while 40 (32%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
  • The parliamentary leaders of PML-N, ANP and MMAP attended the proceedings.
  • Only one out of three minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Output

  • On behalf of the Chief Minister, the Minister for Law the House introduced the KP Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
  • The Chair ruled that no more than two CANs would be included on the List of the Business of a sitting.

Representation and Responsiveness

  • The House held a discussion on the price hike and unemployment. As many as five lawmakers – MMAP (two) and PML-N, PPP & PTI (one each) – participated in the discussion that continued for an hour and ten minutes.
  • The Minister for Law and Advisor on Elementary and Secondary Education responded to four CANs regarding diagnostic facilities in Peshawar hospitals, absence of doctors in Badaber hospital, cutting down of 80-years old walnut trees in Upper Dir and upgradation of the Arabic teachers. These CANs were raised by lawmakers belonging to PPPP, ANP and PML-N.
  • The House did not take up a PML-N lawmaker’s Privilege Motion (PM) due to absence of the concerned member.
  • Order and Institutionalization
  • As many as six lawmakers spoke on Points of Order consuming ten minutes of the proceedings.
  • The lawmakers belonging to opposition and government protested against each other for five minutes over the usage of indecent remarks against the Prime Minister.
  • The House was adjourned to meet again on April 12, 2019 (Friday) at 1400 hours.

Transparency

  • ‘Orders of the Day’ is available to the legislators, observers and others.
  • The attendance of lawmakers is not available to the observers and media.

This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the KP Assembly proceeding conducted by United Rural Development Organization (URDO) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted