House Witnesses Introduction of Seven Private Members’ Bills

ISLAMABAD, November 21, 2016: The Senate adopted four resolutions and witnessed introduction of seven private members’ bills during the second sitting of its 255^th session on Monday, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

The House also paid rich tributes to former ANP Senator Haji Adeel, who passed away in Peshawar on November 18, 2016.

Following are key observations of the proceedings:

Members’ Participation

• The Senate met for four hours and 39 minutes.
• The sitting started two minutes behind the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
• The House took a prayer break of 17 minutes.
• The Chairman presided over the entire sitting.
• The Deputy Chairman was not present.
• The Leader of the House attended the entire sitting while the Leader of the Opposition remained present for three hours and 52 minutes.
• Parliamentary leaders of PkMAP, BNP-M, PML-N, PML-F, MQM, PTI, ANP, BNP-A, PML and JI attended the sitting.
• Twenty-eight (27% of the total membership – 104) lawmakers were present at the start and 16 (15%) at the end of sitting.
• Two minority legislators attended the proceedings.

Output

• The House adopted four resolutions, including representation of women in the Council of Islamic Ideology, inclusion of Climate Change subject in the curriculum of Classes One to Matric in Islamabad schools, bringing changes to National Accountability laws in a bid to discover moveable and immoveable Benami properties/companies and waiving off agricultural loans outstanding against the farmers in Balochistan.
• A resolution on the appreciation of Minister for Finance over his nomination as the best Finance Minister of the Region was dropped due to the absence of mover.
• The House witnessed introduction of seven private members’ bills, including the  Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University Islamabad (Amendment) Bill, 2016; the Right to Information Bill, 2016; the Juvenile Justice System (Amendment) Bill, 2016; the Islamabad Prohibition of Expressing Matters on Walls Bill, 2016; the National Commission for International Law and Commitments Bill , 2016; the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (Amendment of Article 209) and the  Federal  Board  of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill , 2016.

• A bill – the transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was deferred.

• The House witnessed presentation of a report on a Starred Question regarding the number of members of Executive Committee of the Federal Government   Employees Housing Foundation, which approved purchase of land for housing scheme, Phase IV, Bhara Kahu, Islamabad.
• A proposed amendment in Rule 196 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012 was withdrawn by the mover.
• Another proposed amendment in Rule 182 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012 was deferred after the Chairman disagreed with it and asked the mover to discuss it with him in his chamber.

 Representation and Responsiveness

• Twenty-eight lawmakers paid tributes to former ANP Senator Haji Adeel for two hours and eight minutes.
• A commenced motion under Rule 218 regarding constant lowering of water table in the country was deferred due to the absence of relevant minister.
• Four other motions under Rule 218 were taken up and relevant ministers concluded debate on them. These were related to the importance of reviewing the Master Plan of Islamabad,  recruitment policy of the government, and the government’s stance on the delay in conducting census and rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons in FATA.
• Three other motions on the agenda were dropped due to the absence of their movers.
• Ministerial response on the Point of Public Importance regarding unequal distribution of funds in PSDP for all provinces was also deferred.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.
• The attendance of lawmakers is available on the website.

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This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Senate proceedings conducted by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Errors and omissions are excepted