ISLAMABAD, January 18, 2017: The Senate on Wednesday adopted a resolution with majority vote to disapprove the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance 2017, in the absence of Prime Minister, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).

Following are key observations of the 8^th sitting of Senate’s 258^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The Senate met for three hours and 14 minutes.
• The sitting started two minutes behind the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
• The House had a prayer break of 18 minutes.
• The Chairman presided over the sitting for an hour and 50 minutes while the rest of proceedings were chaired by the Deputy Chairman.
• The Leader of the House attended the entire sitting while the Leader of the Opposition did not attend the proceedings.
• Prime Minister was not present.
• Parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, BNP-M, PML-F, ANP, PkMAP, JUI-F and JI attended the proceedings.
• Twenty members (19% of the total membership -104) were present at the outset and 18 (17%) at the end of sitting.
• Three minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Output

• The House adopted a resolution with majority vote to disapprove the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance 2017. Thirty-three lawmakers voted in favour of the resolution while 21 lawmakers went against it.
• Minister for Parliamentary Affairs presented the National School of Public Policy (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 which was forwarded to the relevant committee.
• Minister for Parliamentary Affairs presented the Civil Servants (Service in International Organizations) Rules, 2016.
• On behalf of Chairman Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control, an MQM lawmaker presented two separate reports on the Islamabad Prohibition of Expressing Matters on Walls Bill, 2016 and supplementary question about closure of NADRA center in Buleda, Balochistan.
• Chairman Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges presented report on a Privilege Motion against the Federal Public Service Commission for conducting interviews against the post of Executive Director, Federal Government Poly Clinic Islamabad, on promotion quota, in violation of rules and recommendations of the concerned Senate Standing Committee.

 Representation and Responsiveness

• The Chair rejected an Adjournment Motion (AM) on blast incident at Gaddani Ship Breaking Yard as the issue had already been discussed by the House.
• Following motion under Rule 194(1), the House gave extension of five working days to Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges for presenting report on a Privilege Motion against a Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Finance.
• Another motion under Rule 194 (1) seeking five-day extension with effect from February 21, 2017 for presentation of report of the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges against Chairman CDA was deferred.
• The House passed a motion under Rule 204 to constitute a Special Committee comprising all Members of the Senate from the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which will examine the existing condition of Bacha Khan Airport and the need for expansion and renovation work of the airport.
• The House deferred discussion on the third Quarterly Report for the year 2015-2016 of the Central Board of Directors of the State Bank of Pakistan on the state of the economy.
• The House passed a motion under Rule 60 for holding discussion on the matter of public importance arising out of an answer to a Starred Question. The matter was regarding the names and addresses of the owner(s) of the service stations established at both sides of the River Indus on Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway. Two lawmakers – one each of JI and PTI – spoke about it while Minister for Parliamentary Affairs concluded discussion on it.
• The House took up two Calling Attention Notices (CANs). The first CAN was about the issuance of special hunting permits to Qatri Princes for hunting Houbara Bustard while the other notice was regarding manufacturing of substandard LPG cylinders, causing serious life threat to the domestic consumers of LPG.
• Nine out of 29 Starred Questions appearing on the agenda were taken up. In addition, lawmakers asked 36 Supplementary Questions.

Order and Institutionalization

• The House discussed 11 Points of Public Importance for 25 minutes.

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.