ISLAMABAD, January 31, 2018: The Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Medical Supplies Authority Bill 2017 on Wednesday amid the protest by opposition parties, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during third sitting of the 34^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The Punjab Assembly met for three hours and 30 minutes.
• The proceedings remained suspended for 36 minutes due to lack of quorum.
• The sitting started at 1112 hours against the scheduled time 1000 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and 12 minutes while the Deputy Speaker chaired the rest of the proceedings.
• The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the Opposition attended the proceedings for an hour and 31 minutes.
• As many as four MPAs (1%) were present at outset and 25 (7%) at adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leader of JI was present.
• As many as five minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Output

• The House adopted two resolutions to extend the period of validity of the Punjab Hepatitis Ordinance 2017 and the Punjab Tianjin University of Technology Lahore Ordinance 2017 for a further period of ninety days from the date of their expiry.
• The Minister for Human Rights & Minorities Affairs laid the Punjab Hepatitis Ordinance 2017, the Punjab Tianjin University of Technology Lahore Ordinance 2017 and the Punjab Charities Ordinance 2018 in the House.
• The government introduced the Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Bahawalpur Bill 2018, the Bahawalpur Development Authority (Repeal) Bill 2018, the Code of Civil Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018 and the Limitation (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018. The bills were referred to the relevant standing committees.
• The House passed the Punjab Medical Supplies Authority Bill 2017.
• The Standing Committee on Excise and Taxation presented its report before the House.

Representation and Responsiveness

• As many as seven out of 16 Starred Questions were taken up for answers during the proceedings while six Starred Questions were disposed of due to absence of the movers and one was deferred. The lawmakers also asked 22 supplementary questions.
• The House deferred an Adjournment Motion of a PTI lawmaker.
• The House held a general discussion on grievances of sugarcane growers. As many as 11 lawmakers including the Ministers for Food, Industries and Law participated in the discussion consuming an hour and 13 minutes of the proceedings.

Order and Institutionalization

• The opposition lawmakers staged a seven-minute walkout from proceedings when the Chair refused to allow a PTI lawmaker to speak on the Punjab Medical Supplies Authority Bill 2017.
• A PTI lawmakers pointed out the quorum at 1207 hours that led to the suspension of proceedings for 36 minutes.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.
• Information on Members’ attendance is available on Punjab Assembly’s website.

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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.