Sindh Assembly Continues Debate on Finance Bill

ISLAMABAD, June 22, 2020 The Sindh Assembly continued general discussion on the Annual Budget 2020-21 on Monday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during fourth sitting of the 10th session: 

Members’ Participation

  • The House met for five hours and 12 minutes.
  • The sitting started at 1243 hours against the scheduled time of 1200 hours.
  • The Speaker presided over the sitting for three hours and 11 minutes while the Deputy Speaker chaired the rest of the proceedings.
  • The Leaders of the House did not attend the sitting.
  • The Leader of the Opposition attended the proceedings for an hour and 40 minutes.
  • As many as 31 MPAs (18%) were present at the outset and 14 (8%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
  • The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, GDA and MQM attended the proceedings.
  • As many as five out of nine minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Output 

  • The House unanimously adopted a supplementary resolution to replace word of `Umul Ambia’ with `Umul Aima’ mistakenly written in a resolution adopted earlier. This resolution demanded to raise the issue with Saudi government to rebuild the Shrine of Hazrat Fatima al-Zahra (RA) in Jannat Al-Baqi, Madina.

Representation and Responsiveness

  • A total of 19 lawmakers – PPPP (10), PTI (4), MQMP (3) and GDA (2) – participated in the budget debate for four hours and 11 minutes.

Order and Institutionalization

  • A GDA lawmaker protested for 18 minutes against PPPP lawmakers who criticized her party.
  • The House was adjourned to meet again on June 23, 2020 (Tuesday) at 1200 hours.

 Transparency                                                             

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

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