ISLAMABAD, February 22, 2013: Starting 51 minutes late, the fifth sitting of 91^st session which met for an hour and six minutes on Friday witnessed relatively higher members attendance as sixty senators were present at the outset while 25 at the adjournment.

The Leader of the House did not attend the sitting while the Leader of the Opposition as well as the parliamentary leaders of PML, ANP, JUIF and NP attended the proceedings. The Chairman presided over the entire sitting.

The Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat and Capital Administration and Development presented a report on the bill to provide for the registration, regularization and functioning private educational institutions in Islamabad Capital Territory.

An annual report on the National Economic Council for the financial year 2011-2012 and one money bills relating to the Rulers of Acceding States (Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill 2013 were deferred due to absence of the concerned minister.

Nine POs consuming 55 minutes of the session were raised.

Following are some key observations of the parliamentary business: 

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Senate met for an hour and six minutes.
• The sitting started at 1121 hours against the scheduled starting time of 1030 hours, witnessing a delay of 51 minutes.
• The Chairman chaired the entire sitting. The Deputy Chairman was absent.
• The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting whereas the Leader of the House did not attend the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PML, ANP, JUIF and NP did not attend the sitting.
• Sixty senators were present at the outset while 25 were there at the time of adjournment. A maximum of 32 senators were present at one point of sitting.

• Two senators on minority seat attended the sitting.
• Six senators applied for leave.

 

Output

• The Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat and Capital Administration and Development presented a report on The Islamabad Capital Territory Private Educational Institutions (Registration and Regulation) Bill 2013.
• The Rules of Acceding States (Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill 2013 was deferred

Order and Institutionalization

• Nine points of order consumed 83% of the proceeding’s time.
  

Transparency

• Orders of the Day were available to legislators, observers and others.
• Information on senators’ attendance was unavailable to observers and the public.

 

The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of the Senate proceedings conducted by Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), a member organization of FAFEN