• Session Prorogued

ISLAMABAD, February 2, 2021: The Punjab Assembly deferred most of its agenda on Tuesday including five adjournment motions and two resolutions due to absence or request of relevant ministers, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during the fifth and last sitting of the 28^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The House met for an hour and 43 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1613 hours against the scheduled time of 1400 hours.
• The Speaker and Deputy Speaker were absent while a Member of Panel of Chairpersons presided over the entire sitting.
• The Leaders of the House and the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
• As many as 17 MPAs (5%) were present at the outset and 29 (9%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• Parliamentary Leader of PPPP attended the sitting.
• As many as two out of eight minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Output

• A bill – the University of Faisalabad (Amendment) Bill 2021 – was not taken up as its mover presided over the entire sitting as a Member of Panel of Chairpersons.
• Tabled by a PTI lawmaker, the House adopted a resolution to pay tribute to Pakistan Army included in ten most powerful forces in the world as per Global Fireworks Index 2021.
• A resolution regarding ban on construction of housing societies and industrial units on agriculture lands in Punjab was referred to the relevant committee.
• The House did not take up a resolution demanding immediate provision of smart cards to 88,000 citizens by Excise and Taxation Department Lahore.
• A resolution about installation of water filtration plants in government schools of Lahore was deferred due to absence of the relevant Minister.
• Tabled by PTI lawmaker, the House adopted a supplementary resolution condemning brutality of Indian government with Sikh farmers.
• The House also deferred another supplementary resolution due to absence of relevant Minister.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House took up ten out of 36 starred questions while the lawmakers asked 10 supplementary questions as well.
• The House did not consider two Zero Hour Notices appearing on agenda due to absence of movers.
• As many as four adjournment motions on the agenda were deferred due to absence of relevant Ministers while one was deferred on the request of relevant Minister.

 Order and Institutionalization

• Fourteen lawmakers spoke on points of order for 30 minutes.
• The Session was prorogued sine die.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available on Punjab Assembly’s website.
• Information on Members’ attendance is available on Punjab Assembly’s website.

This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Punjab Assembly proceedings conducted by SANGAT Development Foundation – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are regretted