ISLAMABAD, April 23, 2018: The opposition lawmakers protested in the Sindh Assembly on Monday against nepotism in the appointment of Excise and Taxation Inspectors, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during 10^th sitting of the 39^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The Sindh Assembly met for two hours and three minutes; however, the proceedings remained suspended for 18 minutes due to a protest and an Azaan break.
•  The sitting started at 1557 hours against the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
• The Deputy Speaker presided over the entire sitting as the Speaker was not present.
• The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for an hour and nine minutes.
• As many as 31 (18%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 45 (27%) at the adjournment of sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PML-F, PML-N and PTI attended the sitting.
• As many as six minority lawmakers were also present.
• As many as one lawmaker applied for leave of absence.

Output

• Senior Provincial Minister introduced the Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women, Shaheed Benazirabad (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Human Resource Research and Development Board (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in the House.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House took up four Starred Questions during the Question Hour. The lawmakers asked 16 supplementary questions as well.
• The Chair rejected a PML-F lawmaker’s Adjournment Motion regarding nepotism in recruitment of Excise and Taxation Inspectors in the province.
• The House took up two Call Attention Notices (CANs) regarding depriving NED University’s employees from upgradation of their posts and closure of Primary School for Boys in Union Council Ghaghi, Taluka Mirpur Sakro, District Thatta.
• The House did not address three CANs due to absence of the concerned lawmakers.

 Order and Institutionalization

• A lawmaker raised a Point of Order consuming five minutes of the proceedings.
• Entire opposition staged a protest against the rejection of a PML-F lawmaker’s Adjournment Motion. The proceedings remained suspended for 15 minutes due to the protest.
• The House was adjourned to meet again on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 at 1000 hours.

Transparency

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

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This Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of the Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation, a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.