ISLAMABAD, February 12, 2019: The Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Tuesday passed three government bills and adopted as many resolutions after suspending the rules, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

None of the adopted resolutions was on the list of business of the House. According to Rule 124 of the Rules of Procedure of KP Assembly, a Private Member, who wishes to move a resolution, shall give 15 days’ notice of his intention to do so and shall submit, together with the notice, a copy of the resolution which he intends to move. However, the members took the advantage of Rule 240, requesting the Speaker to suspend the relevant rules and accommodate their resolutions.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during fourth sitting of the fifth session:

Members’ Participation

• The Assembly met for two hours and 57 minutes while the proceedings remained suspended for 32 minutes due to tea break.
• The sitting started at 1105 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the entire sitting while the Deputy Speaker was also present.
• The Leaders of the House was absent while the Leader of the Opposition attended the entire sitting.
• As many as 40 MPAs (32%) were present at the outset while 33 MPAs (27%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of ANP, PPPP and MMAP attended the proceedings.
• As many as two out of three minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Output

• The Minister for Law introduced the Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAF-IAST), Haripur Bill, 2019 in the House.
• Moved by the Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, the House passed the KP Youth Affairs Management and Disposal of Immoveable Properties Bill, 2019 along with amendments proposed by the lawmakers belonging to MMAP and ANP.
• Moved by Minister for Law, the House passed two other government bills including the Code of Civil Procedure (KP) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and the KP Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
• The House adopted three resolutions after suspending the rules which demanded to pay salaries to the journalists of various media houses, highlight the issues of Overseas Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia during upcoming visit of Saudi Crown Prince and open Torkham and Ghulam Khan Borders. These resolutions were sponsored by lawmakers belonging to PTI, PPPP and ANP.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The government answered seven out of eight Starred Questions while one question was disposed of due to absence of the mover. The lawmakers asked five supplementary questions as well.
• The Chair did not grant leave to move an Adjournment Motion (AM)) of MMAP lawmaker due to presence of less than 14 members in its support following Rule 73 (2). It was regarding disposal of waste materials of oil and gas companies in Karak District.

• The House did not take up another AM of MMAP lawmaker regarding posting and transfers of junior staff in bureaucracy on basis of favoritism in KP.

• The Ministers for Food and Law responded to two Call Attention Notices (CANs) about high prices of chicken and non-availability of permanent pace-maker-life saving devices in KP. These CANs were raised by lawmakers belonging to ANP and MMAP.

Order and Institutionalization

• As many as five lawmakers raised four Points of Order consuming 12 minutes of the proceedings.
• The House was adjourned to meet again on February 15, 2019 (Friday) at 1400 hours.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ is available to the legislators, observers and others.
• The attendance of lawmakers is not available to the observers and media.

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