ISLAMABAD, January 22, 2018: The Senate on Monday passed two bills and adopted three resolutions, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the proceedings during first sitting of 272^nd session:

 Members’ Participation

• The Senate met for five hours and five minutes while the proceedings remained suspended for 20 minutes due to prayer break.
• The sitting started at 1522 hours against the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
• The Chairman presided over the entire sitting.
• The Deputy Chairman was also present.
• Prime Minister did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the House attended the sitting for four hours and 13 minutes.
• The Leader of the Opposition was present for 53 minutes.
• As many as 26 (25%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 13 (12%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of MQM, PPPP, PTI, JUI-F, PML, PML-F, JI, BNP-M and PML-N attended the sitting.
• One minority lawmaker was present.

Output 

• The House passed two bills including the National Commission on the Status of Women (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Auditor-General’s (Functions, Powers and Terms and Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
• Four private members’ bills were introduced in the House which were referred to the relevant committees for further consideration. These bills were the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017] (Amendment of section 364A of PPC and Schedule II of Cr.P.C), the Federal Investigation Commission Bill, 2017, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and the National Civic Education Commission Bill, 2017.
• The House dropped the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017] (Amendments of sections 375 and 377)  while a motion under Rule 115 for withdrawal of  the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-smokers Health (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was deferred.
• The House adopted three resolutions to control the lowering of water table, provide natural gas to areas adjoining gas fields in Sindh and include finality of Prophethood (Aqeeda-e-Khatm-e-Nabuwat) in the syllabus of Muslim students being taught in all educational institutions.
• A resolution to open schools on various national days was withdrawn by the mover on government assurance to hold awareness programs on these days.
• Two resolutions to establish two new platoons of Frontier Constabulary and install airbags as well as ABS brakes in all vehicles were dropped due to absence of their movers.
• The Chair deferred a resolution on the request of mover which demanded to set up separate branches of the National Bank of Pakistan in Tehsils Dadak and Kangri of District Musakhel, Balochistan.
• The House witnessed presentation of nine reports of Standing Committees on various parliamentary interventions.
• Convener, Special Committee on Marginalized Segments of Society presented 8^th interim report of the Committee.
• Senate Chairman directed to immediately constitute National Commission for the Rights of Children. He asked Functional Committee on Human Rights and Standing Committee on Interior to visit Kasur and submit report about the incident by January 26, 2018 (Friday).

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House passed a motion under Rule 194 (1) to grant extension of 30 working days for presentation of report on a Calling Attention Notice regarding 30 promotional posts lying vacant in Customs Collectorate, Quetta.
• Moved by the Leader of the Opposition, the House passed two motions under Rule 203 to constitute special committees for considering the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Article 228) and Islamabad Restriction on Employment of Children Bill, 2017.
• The House discussed five motions under Rule 218 regarding overall performance of National Highway Authority, establishment of coal based power plants, importance of extra-curricular activities in academic institutions, protection of water reservoirs and present status of polio virus in the country. In all, 17 Senators spoke on these motions for an hour and 32 minutes while relevant ministers and Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication responded to these motions.
• Two motions under Rule 218 about necessary exchange reforms in the economic sector and alarming rise in child abuse were dropped due to absence of mover.
• A motion about present position of economy was deferred as the Chair announced to club it with an adjournment motion on the identical subject.
• Thirteen lawmakers spoke on as many points of public importance consuming 42 minutes of the proceedings.
• Minister for Interior responded to a point of public importance about a missing person while response on another point was deferred.

Order and Institutionalization

• Eleven lawmakers spoke on as many points of order for 18 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 proceeding conducted by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Errors and omissions are excepted