• KP Dowry, Bridal Gift and Marriage Functions Restriction Bill 2017 introduced
• Session Prorogued

ISLAMABAD, March 2, 2017: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly passed two bills, adopted seven resolutions, and witnessed introduction of the KP Dowry, Bridal Gift and Marriage Functions Restriction Bill, 2017, on Thursday, observed Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

The House held discussion on generating revenue from the oil and gas, and other resources of the province.

Following are key observations of the Assembly proceedings during third and last sitting of the 23^rd session:

Members’ Participation

• The KP Assembly met for two hours and 25 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1548 hours against the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
• Thirty-eight lawmakers (31%) were present at the start and 21 (17%) at the end of sitting.
• The Speaker presided over the entire sitting.
• Deputy Speaker was also present.
• The Chief Minister was not present whereas the Leader of the Opposition attended the entire sitting.
• Parliamentary leaders of QWP and JI were present.
• Two minority members attended the proceedings.

Output

• The House adopted seven resolutions related to the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis; enhancing relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE); limiting the role and packages of cellular companies; resolving the issue of low gas pressure in Officers Colony, Peshawar; inclusion of Mr. Abdul Sattar Edhi’s biography in text books; inclusion of Malakand & Hazara Divisions in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and re-opening of Swat Airport.
• The House witnessed introduction of the KP Dowry, Bridal Gift and Marriage Functions Restriction Bill, 2017 and passed the KP Planning & Monitoring Cell, Irrigation Employees (Regularization of Services) Bill, 2017 and the KP Employees of Health Department (Regularization of Services) Bill, 2017.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House did not observe Question Hour and held discussion on generating revenue from oil, gas, minerals and other resources of the province. Five lawmakers – JUI-F (3), and one each from PTI and PML-N – spoke on the subject for 40 minutes.
• A Privilege Motion of a JUI-F lawmaker was forwarded to the relevant committee regarding misbehavior of the Principal of Buner College with him.

Order and Institutionalization

• Two Points of Order consumed as many minutes of the proceedings.
• A PTI lawmaker pointed out the quorum at 1811 hours following which the Chair ordered the bells to be rung for two minutes. After counting, the quorum was found incomplete and the Chair prorogued the session sine die.

Transparency

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

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This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the KP Assembly proceedings conducted by United Rural Development Organization (URDO) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted