Sindh Assembly Takes up Half of its Agenda

ISLAMABAD, September 23, 2019: The Provincial Assembly of Sindh took up fifty percent of its agenda on Monday and left the legislative business unaddressed, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during the fifth sitting of the sixth session:

Members’ Participation

  • The House met for two hours and 20 minutes.
  • The sitting started at 1540 hours against the scheduled time of 1430 hours.
  • The Speaker presided over the sitting for 45 minutes while the Deputy Speaker chaired the rest of the proceedings.
  • The Leader of the House did not attend the sitting.
  • The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for two hours and two minutes.
  • As many as 43 MPAs (26%) were present at outset and 61 (36%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
  • The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MMAP, TLP and GDA attended the proceedings.
  • Six out of nine minority lawmakers attended the proceedings.

Output.

  • The House did not consider a government bill, a report of the standing committee, two Call Attention Notices (CANs), an Adjournment Motion and a Privilege Motion.

Representation and Responsiveness

  • The Provincial Minister for Health & Population Welfare responded to three out of 13 starred questions while the lawmakers asked 21 supplementary questions, as well.
  • The Provincial Ministers responded to seven Call Attention Notices (CANs). These notices were about water shortage in Karachi (Central-VIII and Karachi West –II); dilapidated condition of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai road; issue of getting space for graves in graveyards of the province; encroachment at sports ground in Landhi; growing use of drugs in students and lack of medical facilities at Lyari General Hospital.

 Order and Institutionalization

  • As many as two lawmakers spoke on points of order consuming five minutes of the proceedings.
  • The House was adjourned to meet again on September 24, 2019 (Tuesday) at 1400 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