ISLAMABAD, March 07, 2013: The Sindh Assembly, which met for two hours and six minutes in the 16^th sitting of the ongoing 40^th session, unanimously passed the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto City University Bill 2013. The proceedings were started an hour and 48 minutes late.

The Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Human Resource Research and Development Board Bill 2013, the other bill on the agenda, was deferred. A report of the committee on rules of procedure and privilege motions was presented and adopted by the house.

The Chief Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PMLF, NPP, ANP and PMLQ (FB) attended the sitting. The Speaker presided over the entire sitting.

Following are some key observations of the parliamentary business:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Sindh Assembly met for two hours and six minutes.
• The sitting started at 1148 hours against the scheduled starting time of 1000 hours, witnessing a delay of an hour and 48 minutes.
• The Speaker presided over the entire sitting
• The Chief Minister attended the sitting for nearly an hour while the Leader of the Opposition attended the entire sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PMLF, NPP, ANP and PMLQ (FB) were present whereas that of PMLQ was absent.
• Ninety-four members were present at the start while 127 – a maximum – were there when the sitting was adjourned.
• Five minority members attended the sitting.
• One member applied for leave.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The seven questions appearing on the agenda were taken up and responded to by the relevant minister. Additionally, 36 supplementary questions were asked.

 

Output

• The Shaheed Benazir Bhutto City University Bill 2013 was unanimously passed.
• The other bill on the agenda, the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Human Resource Research and Development Board Bill 2013, was deferred.
• A report of the committee on rules of procedure and privilege motions was presented and adopted.

Order and Institutionalization

• Five points of order were raised consuming 40 minutes of the sitting time.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day\’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
• The Members’ attendance was recorded and then made public.

The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), a member organization of FAFEN