During the Senate’s 95th session 46 senators took part in the debate on the federal budget for the financial year 2013-14. The Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics, Planning and Development submitted 113 recommendations on the Finance Bill. The National Assembly incorporated 21 recommendations of the upper house in the federal budget. The budget debate lasted 12 hours and 35 minutes, consuming 61% of the session time. Seventeen PPPP Senators spoke on the budget, followed by nine PMLN, four each of PML and ANP, three JUIF, two MQM, one each of BNPA and PMLF and five independent Senators. One-fifth of the Senators who took part in the budget debate were women. In the debate on the previous year’s budget session, this ratio was one-fourth. Out of the total 17 women Senators, nine (53%) took part in the budget debate. Thirty-seven (44%) of 84 male Senators debated the budget. The upper house also adopted three resolutions, raised as supplementary agenda, in the session. The house condemned the June 15,

The budget debate lasted 12 hours and 35 minutes, consuming 61% of the session time. Seventeen PPPP Senators spoke on the budget, followed by nine PMLN, four each of PML and ANP, three JUIF, two MQM, one each of BNPA and PMLF and five independent Senators. One-fifth of the Senators who took part in the budget debate were women. In the debate on the previous year’s budget session, this ratio was one-fourth. Out of the total 17 women Senators, nine (53%) took part in the budget debate. Thirty-seven (44%) of 84 male Senators debated the budget. The upper house also adopted three resolutions, raised as supplementary agenda, in the session. The house condemned the June 15,

One-fifth of the Senators who took part in the budget debate were women. In the debate on the previous year’s budget session, this ratio was one-fourth. Out of the total 17 women Senators, nine (53%) took part in the budget debate. Thirty-seven (44%) of 84 male Senators debated the budget. The upper house also adopted three resolutions, raised as supplementary agenda, in the session. The house condemned the June 15,

The upper house also adopted three resolutions, raised as supplementary agenda, in the session. The house condemned the June 15, 2013 attacks on Ziarat Residency, female students and the Bolan Medical Complex in Quetta, and a suicide blast in Mardan by adopting resolutions in the second, third, and the sixth sittings, respectively.

The Senate’s 95th session met for 20 hours and 43 minutes in eight sittings from June 12 to June 21, 2013. On average, each sitting lasted two hours and 35 minutes and started 38 minutes late.

Since the Senate Secretariat does not make public the attendance record of Senators, the FAFEN observer conducts a headcount of the legislators at the beginning, at the end, and at the time when maximum senators are present in a sitting. In each sitting, on average, 11 legislators were present at the start, 18 at the end, and a maximum of 33 at any one point of the sitting.

The Senate appointed new Leaders of the House and the Opposition two days before the beginning of the session. The newly-appointed Leader of the House attended six sittings while the Leader of the Opposition did not attend any.

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