Sindh Assembly Adopts Six Resolutions

ISLAMABAD, February 27, 2018: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday adopted six resolutions and witnessed introduction of a private member’s bill, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during third sitting of the 38th session:

Members’ Participation

  • The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and 16 minutes.
  •  The sitting started at 1142 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
  • The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and 12 minutes while rests of the proceedings were chaired by the Deputy Speaker.
  • The Deputy Speaker was also present.
  • The Leader of the House and the Opposition Leader did not attend the sitting.
  • As many as 38 (23%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 20 (12%) at the adjournment of sitting.
  • The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PTI and PML-F attended the sitting.
  • As many as five minority lawmakers were also present.

Output

  • The House adopted six resolutions. Of these, three private resolutions appeared on the regular agenda and demanded to establish Unit of NICVD in Civil Hospital Sanghar, stop illegal water supply from Chasma-Jhelum Link Canal and Taunsa-Panjnad Canal and upgrade posts of lower staff in Education Department.
  • Three supplementary resolutions were about paying tributes to human rights activist Asma Jahangir, condemning the decisions of federal government to privatize PIA and Pakistan Steel Mills and blocking BISP cards in Sindh.
  • A PPPP lawmaker introduced the Sindh Regulation of Marriage Functions Bill, 2018.
  • A resolution to expedite work on Drain Nallas at `Chotiyaroon Dam’ was withdrawn by its mover.
  • The House did not consider three private members’ bills, five private motions and amendment in Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh.

Representation and Responsiveness

  • The Chair rejected an adjournment motion of PTI lawmaker which was regarding dilapidated state of schools throughout the Province.
  • The House took up four out of five starred questions. In addition, lawmakers asked 12 supplementary questions.

 Order and Institutionalization

  • A PML-N lawmaker protested for two minutes when she was not allowed to speak on a resolution against privatization of PIA and Pakistan Steel Mills.
  •  The House was adjourned to meet again on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at 1000 hours.

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 Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation, a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted