ISLAMABAD, April 11, 2016: The Provincial Assembly of Sindh on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution to commemorate the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973 during sixth sitting of its 24th session, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are some key observations of the House proceeding:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and 27 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1051 hours against its scheduled time of 1000 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the sitting for 27 minutes and the Deputy Speaker chaired the sitting for two hours and 42 minutes. The rest of the proceeding was chaired by a Member of Panel of Chairpersons.
• The Chief Minister attended the sitting for an hour and 50 minutes.
• The Leader of the Opposition was absent.
• 35 (22%) lawmakers were present at outset and 61 (38%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PML-F, PML-N and PTI were present.
• Six minority members attended the sitting.
• Two members applied for leave.

Output

• Tabled by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, the House unanimously adopted a resolution to commemorate the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973 that was adopted on 12^th April, 1973. The resolution was taken up as supplementary agenda and 11 members including the Chief Minister spoke on it for 97 minutes.
• The House did not take up a government bill – the Societies Registration (Sindh Amendment) Bill, 2015 – that appeared on the list of business.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The government orally responded to two out of five starred questions appearing on the agenda. The lawmakers also asked 13 supplementary questions.
• Five Calling Attention Notices (CANs) on governance issues were taken up and responded to by the relevant Ministers on floor of the House.
• An Adjournment Motion regarding shortage of medicines in Hepatitis Centers in district Khairpur and a question of privilege raised by PML-F lawmaker remained unaddressed.

Order and Institutionalization

• The lawmakers spoke on seven points of order consuming eight minutes of the proceeding.
• Members belonging to PML-F and PML-N protested within the House for two minutes over unsatisfactory answer to a supplementary question raised by a PML-F lawmaker.
• Lawmakers belonging to PML-N and PML-F protested for four minutes against unsatisfactory answer to a calling attention notice submitted by a PML-F lawmaker.
• MPs belonging to PTI along with other opposition members protested within the House for three minutes against the attitude of the Speaker who did not allow a PTI member to spoke on her calling attention notice. Later, the Speaker allowed her to discuss it which was formally responded to by the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.

Transparency

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

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This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.