ISLAMABAD, March 5: Starting an hour and 45 minutes behind schedule, the fourth sitting of Sindh Assembly’s 34^th session, which met for three hours on Monday, unanimously passed three bills.

Fifty-eight MPAs were present when the House opened proceedings and 43 were there when the sitting was adjourned. A maximum of 82 MPAs were observed present at one point of the sitting.

The Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical Sciences Bill 2012, the Establishment of the Office of Ombudsman for the Province of Sindh (Amendment) Bill 2012 and the Sindh Regularization of Teachers appointed on Contract Basis Bill 2012 were unanimously passed by the House.

Out of 18 Questions on the Agenda, only seven were taken up, as 30 Supplementary Questions were also asked. The relevant minister was present in the House.

Fifteen Points of Order consumed 30 minutes of the sitting time. However, none of the Points of Order attracted the Chair’s formal ruling.

The Speaker chaired the entire sitting. The Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition did not attend the sitting.

The parliamentary leaders of the PMLQ (F-B), PMLF, MQM, and ANP were present while those of PML, NPP and PPPP did not attend the sitting.

The following are some key observations of the parliamentary business:

Members’ Participation in House Proceedings

• The Sindh Assembly met for three hours.
• The sitting started at 1145 hours instead of the scheduled starting time of 1000 hours. The proceedings were delayed by an hour and 45 minutes.
• The Speaker chaired the sitting. The Deputy Speaker was also present.
• The Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition were not present.
• The parliamentary leaders of the PMLQ (F-B), PMLF, MQM, and ANP were present while those of PML, NPP and PPPP did not attend the sitting.
• Fifty-eight Members (31% of the total Membership) were present at the start while 43 (45%) were there when the sitting was adjourned.
• Four minority Members were present during the proceedings.
• One Member applied for leave to be absent.
  

Representation and Responsiveness

• Seven Questions out of 18 on the Agenda were taken up, as 30 Supplementary Questions were also asked. The relevant minister was present in the House.

Output

• The Habib University Bill 2012 was introduced in the House.
• The House unanimously passed three bills – The Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical Sciences Bill 2012, the Establishment of the Office of Ombudsman for the Province of Sindh (Amendment) Bill 2012 and the Sindh Regularization of Teachers appointed on Contract Basis Bill 2012.
  

Order and Institutionalization

• Fifteen Points of Order consumed 30 minutes of the sitting time. However, none of the Points of Order attracted the Chair’s formal ruling.
• A female PMLF Member walked out of the House when her privilege motion was not taken up.
  

Transparency

• Orders of the Day were available to Legislators, observers and others.
• Information on Members’ attendance was unavailable to observers and the public.

The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of Sindh Assembly proceedings conducted by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), a member organization of FAFEN