ISLAMABAD, August 12, 2015: With 18 (5%) lawmakers present at the outset and 29 (8%) at the time of adjournment, the National Assembly took up 90 percent agenda during 13^th sitting of its ongoing 24^th session on Wednesday, says Free and Fair Election Network in its daily factsheet.

The low attendance sitting passed six bills including the Electoral Rolls (Amendment) Bill 2015; the Delimitation of Constituencies (Amendment) Bill 2015; the Safeguard Measures (Amendment) Bill 2015; the Countervailing Duties Bill 2015;  the Anti-Dumping Duties Bill 2015 and the National Tariff Commission Bill 2015.

The House took up two Calling Attention Notices (CANs) regarding six-fold increase on collection over per acre wheat by the Evacuee Trust Property Board and denial of due share of daily generation for PESCO.

The House witnessed presentation of Standing Committee’s Report on Finance regarding the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2014 and periodic reports of three standing committees.

The House did not discuss a Motion of Thanks to express gratitude to the President of Pakistan for his address to the joint session on June 4, 2015 while a Motion under Rule 259 regarding deaths in Sindh and other areas due to heat wave was also not taken up.

Some key observations are as follows:

Members’ Participation in the House Proceedings

• The National Assembly met for four hours and 25 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1055 hours against the scheduled time of 1030 hours.
• The Deputy Speaker chaired the entire sitting.
• The Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader did not attend the sitting.
• Eighteen members (5%) were present at the outset and 29 (8%) at the end of the sitting. As many as 131 lawmakers (38%) were present at one point of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PTI, PML-Z, PML and APML did not attend the sitting.
• Seven out of 10 minority members attended the sitting.
• Nine members applied for leave.

Output

• The House passed six bills including the Electoral Rolls (Amendment) Bill 2015; the Delimitation of Constituencies (Amendment) Bill 2015; the Safeguard Measures (Amendment) Bill 2015; the Countervailing Duties Bill 2015; the Anti-Dumping Duties Bill 2015 and the National Tariff Commission Bill 2015.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House took up two Calling Attention Notices (CANs) regarding six-fold increase on collection of per acre wheat by the Evacuee Trust Property Board and denial of due share of daily generation for PESCO.
• Nine out of 44 starred questions appearing on the agenda were taken up. Additionally, lawmakers raised 27 supplementary questions.
• The House did not discuss a Motion of Thanks to express gratitude to the President of Pakistan for his address to the joint session on June 4, 2015 while a Motion under Rule 259 regarding deaths in Sindh and other areas due to heat wave was also not taken up.

Order and Institutionalization

• Nine Points of Order consumed 54 minutes of the sitting.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.

To download the factsheet, click here

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This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the National Assembly proceedings conducted by Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.