• Session Prorogued

ISLAMABAD, October 21, 2020: The Sindh Assembly adopted a resolution on Wednesday condemning the Pakistan Islands Development Authority Ordinance and demanded the federal government to withdraw it, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during the single-sitting 14^th session:

  Members’ Participation

• The House met for three hours and 28 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1517 hours against the scheduled time of 1400 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the entire sitting.
• The Deputy Speaker did not attend the sitting.
• The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) was present for two hours and 40 minutes while the Opposition Leader did not attend the sitting.
• As many as 57 MPAs (34%) were present at the outset and 49 (29%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• The Parliamentary leaders of MQM, PPPP, PTI and TLP attended the sitting.
• As many as six out of nine minority lawmakers were also present.

 Output

• Tabled by a PPPP lawmaker, the House adopted a resolution to condemn the Pakistan Islands Development Authority Ordinance, 2020 and demanded the federal government to withdraw it.
• The House adopted another resolution to hail the role of Sindh police in maintaining law and order and condemn arrest of Captain (Retd) Safdar. The resolution was tabled by a PPPP lawmaker.
• The Speaker announced the assent of Governor to seven bills including the Sindh Wildlife Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management Bill, 2020; the Sindh Finance (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Sindh Seized and Freezed Institutions (Madaaris and Schools) Bill, 2020;the Sindh Seized and Freezed Facilities (Hospitals and Dispensaries) Bill, 2020; the Sindh Waqf Properties Bill, 2020; the Sindh Cooperative Societies Bill, 2020 and the Sindh Trusts Bill, 2020.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House did not take up any question, a calling attention notice, a privilege motion and an adjournment motion due to the protest of the opposition lawmakers.

Order and Institutionalization

• MQM and PTI lawmakers protested for five minutes during the proceedings against the alleged ethnic remarks of PkMAP Chief at PDM gathering in Karachi. Later, they walked out of the House and majority of them did not return till adjournment of the sitting.
• The Session was prorogued sine-die.

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