ISLAMABAD, March 11, 2016: The Senate prorogued its 126^th session on Friday after the formal launch of the Annual Report at the completion of 13^th Parliamentary year, says Free and Fair Election Network in its daily factsheet.

The Annual Report titled “Report to the People of Pakistan” has the details of business transacted by the House during the 13^th Parliamentary year (March 12, 2015 to March 11, 2016). During the reporting period, the House held 14 sessions and 103 sittings.

Some key observations are as follows:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Senate met for three hours and 22 minutes.
• The sitting started at the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
• The Chairman presided over the entire sitting while the Deputy Chairman was not present.
•  Prime Minister did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the House attended the entire sitting.
• The Opposition Leader was not present.
• 15 (14%) senators were present at the start and 20 (19%) at the time of adjournment.
• Parliamentary leaders of ANP, MQM, PPPP, PkMA, PML and JUI-F were present.
• One minority member was present.

Output

• The Senate witnessed presentation of detailed report of business transacted by the House during the Parliamentary year from March 12, 2015 to March 11, 2016.
• The House passed one bill including the Criminal Law (Amendment Bill), 2015 while the National University of Science and Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced.
• The House witnessed presentation of three reports by Standing Committees which were about the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (Amendment) Bill 2016, implementation of building code and number of employees working in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and its attached departments.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House took up a Calling Attention Notices about arbitrary transfers of officers in Election Commission of Pakistan as reported in press. Another notice about compensation to the  victims  of  an  accident  of  train  with  a  Mazda  pickup  was deferred on the request of mover.
• The House passed two motions to extend the period for presentation of reports about demands of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and implementation of building code, with particular reference to provisions regarding earthquake, for suggesting penal provisions, measures and mechanism regarding violation of said Code.
• All 14 starred questions appearing on the agenda were answered by the relevant departments while the Senators also raised 27 supplementary questions

 Order and Institutionalization

• Thirty-one Point of Public Importance consumed 104 minutes of the sitting time.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.

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