ISLAMABAD, April 18, 2017: The National Assembly could not proceed to take up its regular agenda again on Tuesday due to lack of quorum. This is the consecutive fourth time that the sitting had to be adjourned due to missing quorum, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).

The House, however, unanimously adopted a resolution to condemn the cold-blooded murder of Mashal Khan, a student of Wali Khan University, Mardan, and expressed its resolve to insert strong safeguards in the blasphemy law to prevent its abuse.

The sitting remained suspended for 32 minutes due to lack of quorum pointed out by a PPPP lawmaker.

Following are key observations of the proceedings during fifth sitting of the 41^st session:

Members’ Participation

• The National Assembly met for an hour and 44 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1034 hours against the scheduled time of 1030 hours.
• The sitting remained suspended for 32 minutes due to lack of quorum.
• The Speaker presided over the entire sitting.
• The Deputy Speaker was also present.
• The Leader of the House (Prime Minister) did not attend the sitting while the Leader of the Opposition was present for 48 minutes.
• Forty lawmakers (12%) were present at the outset and 63 (18%) at the adjournment of sitting.
• The Parliamentary leaders of APML, PkMAP, PML-Z and JI attended the sitting.
• Three minority members were present.

Output

• The entire agenda appearing on Orders of the Day remained unaddressed due to early adjournment of the sitting for lack of quorum.
• The House unanimously adopted a resolution to condemn the cold-blooded murder of a university student in Mardan and expressed its resolve to insert strong safeguards in the blasphemy law to prevent its misuse. Four lawmakers – one each of JUI-F, PTI, JI and MQM – spoke on the resolution for 13 minutes.

Order and Institutionalization

• Lawmakers spoke on three Points of Order consuming 40 minutes of the sitting.
• The lawmakers belonging to PPPP staged a walkout at 1139 hours against the enforced disappearances of their party loyalists. They did not return to the House till adjournment of the sitting.
• A PPPP lawmaker pointed out quorum at 1139 hours, subsequently head count was made and the Chair had to suspend the sitting for lack of quorum. The quorum was not found complete on the resumption of proceedings, and the House had to be adjourned for next sitting.

Transparency

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

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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.