ISLAMABAD, August 03, 2021: The National Assembly left 98 percent of its agenda unaddressed on private member’s day and was adjourned due to lack of quorum, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its daily factsheet on Tuesday.

Following are key observations of the proceedings during 10th sitting of the 35th session:

 Members’ Participation

• The National Assembly met for an hour and 24 minutes.
• The sitting started at 04:52 pm against the scheduled time of 04:00 pm.
• The deputy speaker presided over the entire sitting in the absence of speaker.
• The leaders of the house (Prime Minister) and the opposition did not attend the sitting.
• As many as 53 (15 percent) lawmakers were present at the outset and 58 (17 percent) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PML-N, GDA and PPPP attended the sitting.
• Six minority lawmakers were present.

 Output

• The House did not consider 23 private members’ bills, 21 reports of standing committees, 18 resolutions, two amendments in rules of procedure and conduct of business in National Assembly 2007 and a motion to refer a bill to the joint sitting of Parliament.

 Representation and Responsiveness

• The House took up two calling attention notices (CANs) regarding increase in cases of pollen allergy in Islamabad and decreased in per acre production of wheat, cotton, sugarcane and rice in country. Minister of state for parliamentary affairs and minister for national food security and research responded to these CANs respectively
• Five motions under rule 259 were not taken up.

Order and Institutionalization

• Eleven lawmakers spoke on points of order for 37 minutes.
• An independent lawmaker pointed out the quorum at 06:13 pm following which the Chair directed for counting. The quorum was found incomplete and the House was adjourned to meet again on Friday, August 6, 2021 at 11:00 am.

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