ISLAMABAD, April 18, 2018: The Sindh Assembly passed two government bills and took up three Call Attention Notices on Wednesday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during seventh sitting of the 39^th session:

Members’ Participation

• The Sindh Assembly met for two hours and 30 minutes.
•  The sitting started at 1115 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and 26 minutes while the Deputy Speaker chaired the rest of the sitting.
• The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) and the Opposition Leader did not attend the sitting.
• As many as 38 (23%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 43 (26%) at the adjournment of sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, PML-F, MQM and PTI attended the sitting.
• As many as six minority lawmakers were also present.

Output

• Tabled by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, the House passed the Sindh Sports Board (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and the Sindh Regularization of Teachers Appointed on Contract Basis Bill, 2018.
• The Sindh Regularization of Teachers Appointed on Contract Basis Bill, 2018 was earlier passed on February 26, 2018 but the Governor did not give his assent on it and asked to reconsider it. However, the House unanimously passed it again following which it would be forwarded to governor for his assent. The  Rule 117 (5) of the Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, 2013 says, “ When the Governor has returned a Bill to the Provincial Assembly, it shall be reconsidered by the Provincial Assembly and, if it is again passed, with or without amendment, by the Provincial Assembly, by the votes of the majority of the members of the Provincial Assembly present and voting, it shall be again presented to the Governor and the Governor shall give his assent within ten days, failing which such assent shall be deemed to have been given”.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The House took up three out of four Starred Questions during the Question Hour. The lawmakers asked 12 supplementary questions as well.
• The House did not take up an Adjournment Motion of the Leader of the Opposition due to his absence.
• The House took up three out of five Call Attention Notices (CANs) regarding sub-standard medicines at Civil Hospital Thatta, presence of liquor shops near public places and gauge of three canals from Trijunction of Mirwah Canal.

 

Order and Institutionalization

• Seven points of order consumed 28 minutes of the proceedings.
• PML-F lawmakers protested in the House for four minutes against criticism on their party by a PPPP lawmaker.
• The House was adjourned to meet again on Thursday, April 19, 2018 at 1000 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.

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