ISLAMABAD, September 29, 2018: The Sindh Assembly concluded the general discussion on budget statement for the remaining nine months of current fiscal year, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet on Saturday.

Following are key observations of proceedings during seventh sitting of the second session:

Members’ Participation

• The Sindh Assembly met for eight hours and 51 minutes; however the proceedings remained suspended for nine minutes due to Azan.
• The sitting started at 1032 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the sitting for five hours and 31 minutes while the Deputy speaker chaired the rest of the sitting.
• The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) attended the sitting for eight hours and 14 minutes.
• The Leader of the Opposition attended the entire sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of MQM, PPPP, GDA, MMA, TLP and PTI attended the sitting.
• As many as 19 (12%) lawmakers were present at outset and 89 (54%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• As many as six out of nine minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Representation and Responsiveness

• As many as eight lawmakers participated in general discussion on budget. The discussion continued for eight hours and 36 minutes.
• The House did not hold the discussion on charged expenditure and voting on the demands for grants appearing on orders of the day.

Order and Institutionalization

• The lawmakers belonging to MQM and PPPP raised two points of order consuming three minutes of the proceedings.
• The House was adjourned to meet again on September 30, 2018 (Sunday) 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.

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.