ISLAMABAD, November 15, 2018: The Provincial Assembly of Sindh addressed its entire scheduled business on Thursday and adopted two supplementary resolutions as well, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet on Thursday.

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

Members’ Participation

• The Assembly met for two hours and 53 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1134 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours.
• The Speaker presided over the sitting for an hour and 33 minutes while the Deputy Speaker chaired the rest of the sitting.
• The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) and the Leader of the Opposition did not attend the sitting.
• As many as 47 lawmakers (28%) were present at the outset and 82 (49%) at the adjournment of the sitting.
• The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM-P, PTI and MMAP attended the sitting.
• As many as six out of nine minority lawmakers were present during the proceedings.

Output

• The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs introduced the Sindh Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Bill, 2018.
• Moved by a MQM lawmaker, the House adopted a resolution urging the federal government to accommodate the government employees affected by recent eviction drive in Karachi.
• Moved by a PPPP lawmaker, the House passed another resolution suggesting the provincial government to take up the matter of removing Benazir Bhutto’s picture from Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) campaign with the federal government.

Representation and Responsiveness

• The Ministers for Education and Literacy, Parliamentary Affairs, and Local Government responded to five Calling Attention Notices (CANs) regarding deplorable condition of Shah Faisal Colony Bridge, stopping teachers’ salaries, increased crime rates in Karachi, action against factories distributing untreated mineral water, and shortage of water in Kharadar.
• Moved by MQM-P lawmaker, the House admitted an AM regarding water shortage in Hyderabad for discussion on Monday, November 19, 2018.
• The House took up three out of five Starred Questions for oral answers by minister for culture, tourism and antiquities. The lawmakers asked 20 supplementary questions as well.

Order and Institutionalization

• The lawmakers raised two points of order consuming six minutes of the proceedings.
• The House was adjourned to meet again on November 16, 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.