Sindh Assembly Recommends Lifting Student Union Ban

ISLAMABAD, November 13, 2017: The Sindh Assembly adopted a PPPP lawmaker’s resolution recommending the government to lift ban on student unions, Observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet on Monday.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during ninth sitting of the 36th session:

Members’ Participation

  • The Sindh Assembly met for two hours and 20 minutes.
  • The sitting started at 1118 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
  • The Deputy Speaker presided over the entire sitting in the absence of the Speaker.
  • The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) and the Leader of the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
  • As many as 15 (9%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 43 (26%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
  • The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, PML-F, PTI and MQM attended the sitting.
  • Four minority members attended the sitting.
  • Nine members applied for leave.

Output

  • The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs introduced the Sindh Occupational Safety and Health Bill, 2017 in the House
  • Moved by a PPPP lawmaker, the House adopted a resolution recommending to the government to lift the ban on student unions in educational institutions. As many as 12 lawmakers debated the resolution consuming 38 minutes of the proceedings.
  • The House also adopted a resolution commemorating the services of World Science Community especially women in connection with the World Science Day. As many as five lawmakers debated the resolution for 13 minutes.

 Representation and Responsiveness

  • The House took up one out of five Starred Questions for answer during the proceedings while one question was not answered due to absence of the concerned minister and the remaining three questions were not taken up. The lawmakers raised four supplementary questions as well.
  • The House took up two Calling Attention Notices (CANs) regarding garbage heaps in Clifton area of Karachi and regularization of 39 temporary officers of BPS-17 in Information Department without appearing in Sindh Public Service Commission.
  • The House did not take up an Adjournment Motion and three CANs due to absence of the concerned lawmakers.

Order and Institutionalization

  • A PML-F lawmaker walked out from proceedings for five minutes against absence of relevant minister to reply her question.
  • A PTI lawmaker protested for two minutes during the proceedings against the decision of the Chair to disallow a Point of Order.

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 Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation, a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.