• Session Prorogued

ISLAMABAD, May 3, 2019: The Provincial Assembly of Balochistan did not take up most of the regular business appearing on `Orders of the Day’ on Friday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daly Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during fourth and last sitting of the 12^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The House met for three hours and 44 minutes; however, the proceedings remained suspended for 35 minutes due to prayer break.
• The sitting started at 1701 hours against the scheduled time of 1600 hours.
• The Deputy Speaker presided over the sitting for two hours and 49 minutes in the absence of Speaker while a member of Panel of Chairpersons chaired rest of the sitting.
• The Leader of the House did not attend the proceedings.
• The Leader of the Opposition attended the entire sitting.
• As many as 14 MPAs (22%) were present at the outset while 27 (42%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PkMAP, MMAP and BNP-M attended the proceedings.
• All three minority lawmakers were absent.

Output

• Moved by a BNP-M lawmaker, the House adopted a resolution demanding special measures by the provincial government to facilitate persons with disabilities in various sectors. Four lawmakers – BNP-M (two), PkMAP and BAP (one each) – debated the resolution for 43 minutes.
• The House did not consider four resolutions, two Standing Committees’ reports, three reports of the National Finance Commission, a Call Attention Notice and an Adjournment Motion appearing on the agenda.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The Ministers concerned responded to eight out of 11 starred questions while the remaining three questions were not taken up. The lawmakers asked 14 supplementary questions as well.

Order and Institutionalization

• As many as nine lawmakers raised Points of Order consuming an hour and one minute of the proceedings.
• An MMAP lawmaker walked out of the proceedings for seven minutes against unsatisfactory reply of Provincial Minister for Heath to a matter raised by him through a Point of Order.
• The House was prorogued sine die.

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.