Session Prorogued Sine Die

ISLAMABAD, March 13, 2017: The Provincial Assembly of Balochistan on Monday adopted a resolution urging the government to add a separate box for special persons in the census form, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

The House also held general discussion to observe International Commonwealth Day, 2017.

Later, the session was prorogued sine die after completion of House business.

Following are key observations of the proceedings during last (6^th) sitting of Assembly’s 37^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The Balochistan Assembly met for four hours and 12 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1220 hours against the scheduled time of 1130 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the entire sitting.
• The Chief Minister did not attend the proceedings.
• The Opposition Leader attended the entire proceedings.
• Twenty-two lawmakers (34%) were present at the outset and 12 (19%) at the adjournment of sitting.
• Parliamentary leaders of PkMAP, JUI-F, ANP, MWM and PML were present during the proceedings.
• Two minority members also attended the sitting.
• Five members applied for leave.

Output

• Tabled by a PML-N lawmaker, the House adopted a resolution urging the government to add a separate box for special persons in census form. Four lawmakers expressed their views on the subject consuming 10 minutes of the proceedings.
• Chairperson, Standing Committee on Health and Population Welfare presented committee’s report on a resolution regarding Children Hospital, Quetta.
• Minister for Education presented report of the Special Committee on admissions in Cadet College, Mastung.

 Representation and Responsiveness

• Five out of seven Starred Questions were taken up and responded to by the relevant ministers. The lawmakers asked five Supplementary Questions, as well.
• The House held general discussion to observe International Commonwealth Day, 2017. Eight lawmakers spoke on it for 50 minutes.

Order and Institutionalization

• Lawmakers spoke on 21 Points of Order consuming an hour and 12 minutes of the proceedings.
• A lawmaker belonging to PML-N walked out of the House at 1516 hours against controversial appointments in a government department and did not return till the adjournment of sitting.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
• 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.