ISLAMABAD, May 4, 2021: The Punjab Assembly passed eight government bills and adopted 19 resolutions to extend as many ordinances for a further period of 90 days, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet on Tuesday.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during the first sitting of the 31st session:

Members’ Participation

• The House met for an hour and 41 minutes.
• The sitting started at 02:21 pm against the scheduled time of 11:30 am.
• The speaker presided over the entire sitting.
• The deputy Speaker was absent.
• The leader of the House (chief minister) and the opposition leader did not attend the sitting.
• As many as 47 MPAs (13 percent) were present at the outset and 14 (four percent) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• Only the parliamentary leader of PPPP attended the sitting.
• One out of eight minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Output

• The House adopted a motion to suspend the regular agenda on Private Member’s Day and consider the government business.
• The minister for law introduced two bills including the University of Child Health Sciences, Lahore Bill 2021 and the Punjab Educational Institutions (Reconstitution) Bill 2021. Both bills were referred to the relevant committees for further consideration.
• The House passed eight government bills which were the Lahore Central Business District Development Authority Bill, 2021; the Ravi Urban Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Emerson University, Multan Bill, 2021; the Punjab Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates Bill, 2021; the Punjab Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Bill, 2021; the Punjab Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Punjab Sugar Facilities Control (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
• Minister for law laid 11 ordinances in the House which included  the Punjab Museums Board Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Tourism, Culture and Heritage Authority Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Travel Agencies (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Prevention of Speculations in Essential Commodities Ordinance 2021, the Lahore Ring Road Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Commission for Regularization of Irregular Housing Schemes Ordinance 2021, the Lahore Development Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Commercial Courts Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Local Government (Third Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Medical Teaching Institutions (Reforms) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, and the Punjab Civil Servants (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.
• The House adopted 19 resolutions to grant 90-day extension to as many ordinances. The extended ordinances were the Lahore Central Business District Development Authority Ordinance 2021, the Ravi Urban Development Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the Emerson University, Multan Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Ordinance 2021, the Code of Civil Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2021, the Punjab Employees’ Social Security (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Museums Board Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Tourism, Culture and Heritage Authority Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Travel Agencies (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Prevention of Speculations in Essential Commodities Ordinance 2021, the Lahore Ring Road Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Commission for Regularization of Irregular Housing Schemes Ordinance 2021, the Lahore Development Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Commercial Courts Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Local Government (Third Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Medical Teaching Institutions (Reforms) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, and the Punjab Civil Servants (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.
• The House adopted two supplementary resolutions to condole deaths of MPA Punjab Muhammad Waris Shad and renowned journalist Zia Shahid and A.R Rehman.

Order and Institutionalization

• Eight lawmakers spoke on points of order for 26 minutes which were related to sit-in of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in Lahore.
• The House was adjourned to meet again on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 11:30 am.

Transparency

• ‘List of Business’ 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