Sindh PA Discusses Water Crisis; Session Prorogued

ISLAMABAD, November 26, 2018: The Provincial Assembly of Sindh was prorogued on Monday after transacting its scheduled agenda for the day, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during 11th and last sitting of the third session.

Members’ Participation

  • The Sindh Assembly met for four hours and 37 minutes; however, the proceedings remained suspended for nine minutes due to Azan
  • The sitting started at 1510 hours against the scheduled time of 1500 hours.
  • The Speaker presided over the sitting for three hours and seven minutes while the Deputy Speaker chaired the rest of the proceedings.
  • The Leader of the House (Chief Minister) attended the sitting for 52 minutes.
  • The Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting for four hours and 18 minutes.
  • As many as 55 lawmakers (33%) were present at the outset and 49 (29%) 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 remained present during the proceedings.

Output:

  • The Minister for Health introduced the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Institute of Trauma at Karachi Bill, 2018, the Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Disease Bill, 2018 and the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology Bill, 2018.

Representation and Responsiveness

  • The House held discussion on MQM lawmakers’ Adjournment Motions (AM) regarding unjust water distribution in Karachi and shortage of water in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas. As many as 11 lawmakers participated in the discussion consuming two hours and 28 minutes of the proceedings.
  • The Chair ruled out an AM regarding increase in street crimes in Karachi as the issues had already been discussed during the session. The AM was moved by MQM lawmaker.
  • The House took up four Call Attention Notices (CANs) regarding allotment of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) registration numbers to medical students, announcement of sugar cane-crushing date and price, water shortage in Baldia Town and poor sewerage system in Clifton Road Karachi. The ministers for Health, Agriculture and Local Government responded to these notices.
  • The House dropped a CAN regarding recruitment status in JIMS Hospital, Jacobabad due to the absence of the mover.
  • The House took up six starred questions addressed to the Ministry of Health. The lawmakers asked 32 supplementary questions as well.

Order and Institutionalization:

  • The lawmakers raised two Points of Order consuming three minutes of the proceedings.
  • The House was prorogued sine die.

Transparency

  • ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.
  • The attendance of the 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.