ISLAMABAD, February 12, 2020: The requisitioned session of the Balochistan Assembly was adjourned without addressing most of the agenda due to lack of quorum on Wednesday, says Free and Fair Election Network in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceeding during first sitting of the requisitioned (19^th) session:

Members’ Participation

• The House met for four hours and 16 minutes while the proceedings remained suspended for 49 minutes due to prayers break.
• The sitting started at 1619 hours against the scheduled time of 1600 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the sitting for three hours and 32 minutes while rest of the sitting was chaired by a Member of Panel of Chairpersons.
• The Deputy Speaker attended the proceedings for 25 minutes.
• The Leader of the House was absent.
• The Leader of the Opposition attended the entire sitting.
• As many as 21 MPAs (32%) were present at the outset and 13 (20%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of HDP, ANP, BNP-M, BNP-A, PkMAP, PTI and MMAP attended the proceeding.
• All three minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House held a general discussion on low gas pressure in Quetta during the winter season. As many as 12 lawmakers participated in debate for three hours and one minute.
• The House did not hold a debate on law and order situation, inflation and problems due to heavy snowfall.

Order and Institutionalization

• As many as four lawmakers spoke on Points of Order consuming 13 minutes of the proceedings.
• A BAP lawmaker pointed out quorum at 2033 hours following which the Chair adjourned the session to meet again on February 13, 2020 (Thursday) at 1100 hours.

Transparency

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

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.