ISLAMABAD, March 14, 2013: The Sindh Assembly unanimously passed four bills in the 20^th sitting of the 40^th session, which lasted three hours and 40 minutes before it was adjourned due to lack of quorum. The sitting was started two hours and 10 minutes late.

The Sindh (Regularization of Ad hoc and Contract Employees) Bill 2013, the Sindh Compulsory Iodization of Salt Bill 2013, the Sindh Civil Servants (Second Amendment) Bill 2013, and the Sindh Tenancy (Amendment) Bill 2013 were the passed bills.

The PPPP members protested for 10 minutes and walked out of the House over non-implementation of Supreme Court’s decision about Asghar Khan Case.

The Chief Minister and the parliamentary leaders of PPPP, ANP, PMLQ, PMLQ (F-B) and PMLF did not attend the sitting.

Following are some key observations of the parliamentary business:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Sindh Assembly met for three hours and 40 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1210 hours against the scheduled starting time of 1000 hours, witnessing a delay of two hours and 10 minutes.
• The Speaker presided over the entire sitting. The Deputy Speaker was also present.
• The Chief Minister did not attend the sitting whereas the Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for two hours and 33 minutes.
• The parliamentary leaders of only MQM, and NPP were present whereas those of PPPP, ANP, PMLQ, PMLQ (F-B) and PMLF were absent.
• Thirty-four members were present at the outset, while 39 were there at the time of adjournment. A maximum of 91 members were present at one point of sitting.
• Five minority members attended the sitting.
• No member applied for leave.

Representation and Responsiveness

• Three of the 34 starred questions on the agenda were taken up and responded to by the relevant ministries. Additionally, 22 supplementary questions were asked.

• An adjournment motion about the opening of a church which is being used as store at the Ojha Campus of Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi is taken up and debated. Two members deliberated upon the issue for eight minutes.
• A PPPP member raised a privilege motion and then withdrew it after receiving assurance from the Law Minister.

Output

• The House unanimously passed four bills. The Sindh Compulsory Iodization of Salt Bill 2013, the Sindh (Regularization of Adhoc and Contract Employees) Bill 2013, the Sindh Civil Servants (Second Amendment) Bill 2013, and The Sindh Tenancy (Amendment) Bill 2013 were the passed bills.

Order and Institutionalization                                                                 

• Three points of order consumed four minutes of the sitting time.
• The PPPP members protested for 10 minutes and walked out of the House over non-implementation of Supreme Court’s decision about Asghar Khan Case. Three minutes after they walked off, the sitting was adjourned due to lack of quorum.

Transparency

• ‘Orders of the Day\’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.
• The Members’ attendance was recorded and then made public.

The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), a member organization of FAFEN