ISLAMABAD, October 12, 2015: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly passed one bill and also adopted a resolution amid low attendance of lawmakers during the 66^th sitting of its ongoing 15^th session on Monday, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).

The sitting started 44 minutes behind the schedule with 34 lawmakers (27%) present at the start and 60 (48%) at the time of adjournment. The Chair announced to adjourn the session till November 16.

The House passed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Journalists Welfare Endowment Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and adopted a resolution to abolish double fine over violation of traffic route by transporters.

One of the resolutions regarding delay in issuance of permits about traffic route was referred to the relevant committee while other about establishing Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education in Chitral was deferred.

Following are some key observations of the assembly proceedings:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The KP Assembly met for 52 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1544 hours against the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
• Thirty-four lawmakers (27%) were present at the start and 60 (48%) at the end of the sitting.
• A maximum of 62 (50%) members attended the sitting.
• Entire sitting was chaired by a member of Panel of Chairpersons.
• The Chief Minister and the Opposition Leader did not attend the sitting.
• Parliamentary leaders of QWP, AJIP and JI were present in the sitting.
• Three minority members attended the sitting.
• Ten members applied for leave.

 Output

• The House passed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Journalists Welfare Endowment Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2015.
• A resolution to abolish double fine over violation of traffic route by transporters was adopted by the House.

Representation and Responsiveness 

• One out of three questions appearing on the agenda was taken up and responded by the relevant department.  In addition, lawmakers raised four supplementary questions.
• The House took up two Calling Attention Notices (CANs); one regarding changing the location of a police station in Kohistan and the other about non-construction of wall around Children Hospital Kohat.

Order and Institutionalization 

• One point of order consumed two minutes of the sitting. 

Transparency 

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
• Information on legislators’ attendance was not available to the observers and the public.

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