ISLAMABAD, August 2, 2021: The National Assembly left its entire agenda unaddressed except question hour on Monday and was adjourned due to lack of quorum, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its daily factsheet.

Following are key observations of the proceedings during 9th sitting of the 35th session:

 Members’ Participation

• The National Assembly met for an hour and 18 minutes.
• The sitting started at 05:42 pm against the scheduled time of 05:00 pm.
• The speaker presided over the entire sitting.
• The deputy speaker did not attend the sitting.
• The leaders of the house (Prime Minister) and the opposition did not attend the sitting.
• As many as 48 (14 percent) lawmakers were present at the outset and 34 (10 percent) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PML-N, GDA, BAP and PPPP attended the sitting.
• Five minority lawmakers were present.

 Output

• The House did not consider two government bills and as many reports of standing committees, two statutory reports and a resolutions seeking extension of an ordinance.

 Representation and Responsiveness

• The House did not take up two calling attention notices related to the Ministries of Interior and National Food Security and Research.
• A motion of thanks to the President for his address to the Parliament was not taken up.
• The House took up 10 out of 32 starred questions while lawmakers asked 11 supplementary questions as well.

Order and Institutionalization

• A PPPP lawmaker pointed out the quorum at 06:56 pm following which the Chair directed for counting. The quorum was found incomplete and the House was adjourned to meet again on Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at 04:00 pm.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to legislators, observers and public.
• Attendance of lawmakers was available to media and observers.

 

This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the National Assembly proceedings conducted by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Errors and omissions are excepted