ISLAMABAD, April 24, 2018: The Balochistan Assembly was adjourned on Tuesday due to lack of quorum with only two members present in the House at adjournment, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the proceedings during sixth sitting of the Assembly’s 51^st session:

 Members’ Participation 

• The Balochistan Assembly met for an hour and 42 minutes while the proceedings remained suspended for 19 minutes due to lack of quorum.
• The sitting started at 1644 hours against the scheduled time of 1600 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and six minutes while a member of Panel of Chairpersons chaired the rest of the proceedings.
• The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the Opposition attended the entire sitting.
• As many as 22 lawmakers (34%) were present at the outset and two (3%) at the adjournment of sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PkMAP, ANP and PML were present during the proceedings.
• As many as two minority members attended the sitting.
• As many as four members applied for leave of absence.

Output

• Provincial Minister for Local Government and Rural Development presented the Balochistan Slums Regularization and Structure Bill, 2018. The House referred the bill to the relevant committee with directions to report back to the House within one week.
• Chairperson Standing Committee on Finance, Excise & Taxation, Board of Revenue and Transport presented the report of the committee on the Balochistan Finance Bill, 2018.
• Chairperson Standing Committee on Irrigation, Energy, Environment, Forestry and Wildlife presented the report of the committee on the performance of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife and challenges faced to it. The report was referred back to the committee with directions to incorporate members’ suggestions and present it again within one week.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House deferred a Starred Question due to absence of the relevant minister.
• The House held a discussion on an Adjournment Motion regarding terrorist attack on a Church in Quetta. A lawmaker spoke on the motion consuming nine minutes of the proceedings.

Order and Institutionalization

• The lawmakers spoke on two Points of Order consuming as many minutes of the proceedings.
• A lawmaker belonging to NP pointed out the quorum at 1757 hours that led to ringing of bells for nine minutes and subsequently to the suspension of the proceedings for 19 minutes. However, the quorum was found incomplete again on resumption of the proceedings and the sitting was adjourned till 1600 hours Friday April 27, 2018.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was not available on the website of the Assembly.
• Attendance of Members was not made public.

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This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Balochistan Assembly proceedings conducted by Center for Peace and Development (CPD) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted