ISLAMABAD, April 1, 2016: The Punjab Assembly passed six resolutions to extend as many ordinances for a further period of ninety days on Friday during third sitting of its 20^th session, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).

Following are some key observations of the House proceeding:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Punjab Assembly met for two hours and six minutes.
• The sitting started at 1023 hours against the scheduled time 0900 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the entire sitting while the Deputy Speaker was not present.
• The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for an hour and 32 minutes.
• 30 MPAs (8%) were present at outset and 15 (4%) at adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PPPP and JI attended the sitting.
• Four minority members were present.

Output

• The House adopted six resolutions under Rule 128(2)(a) seeking extension in the period of the Punjab Vigilance Committees Ordinance 2016, the Fatima Jinnah Medical University Lahore (Amendment) Ordinance 2015, the Punjab Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Ordinance 2016, the Punjab Marriage Functions Ordinance 2015, the Punjab Economic Research Institute (Amendment) Ordinance 2016 and the Punjab Forest (Amendment) Ordinance 2016 for ninety days.
• The Provincial Law Minister laid the Punjab Civilian Victims of Terrorism (Relief and Rehabilitation) Ordinance 2016.
• The standing committees on Home Affairs, Planning & Development, Fisheries, Irrigation, Local Government and Slaughter Houses presented seven reports on as many legislative bills referred to these committees.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The government orally answered eight out of ten starred questions appearing on the agenda while one question was disposed of and another was deferred. The lawmakers also asked 17 supplementary questions.
• The House deferred a privilege motion of a lawmaker belonging to PML-N.
• The government replied to an Adjournment Motion regarding degradation of agricultural land due to Trimmu-Sidhnai Canal. Another AM regarding illegal production of liquor was deferred.
• Two lawmakers belonging to PML-N spoke during the Pre-Budget discussion consuming eleven minutes of the proceeding.

Order and Institutionalization

• The lawmakers spoke on nine points of order consuming 28 minutes of the proceeding.
• A PTI lawmaker staged walkout at 1114 hours against not being allowed to discuss the attendance of Chief Minister in the House. Another lawmaker belonging to PPPP also staged walkout at 1119 hours against delay in referring a privilege motion to the relevant committee. Both lawmakers returned to the House at 1126 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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The daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Punjab Assembly proceedings conducted by PATTAN Development Organization – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are regretted.