ISLAMABAD, April 9: Starting an hour and three minutes behind schedule, the Joint Sitting of the Parliament, which met for three hours and 57 minutes on Monday, did not take up the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2009. 

The sitting witnessed low attendance as 74 legislators (from both the Houses) were present at the outset of the sitting while only 67 were present when it was adjourned. A maximum of 190 Members were present during one point of the sitting.

Out of the 190 legislators attending the sitting, only six legislators – four from Senate and two from National Assembly – spoke on the report of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) for 66 minutes. 

Twenty-four Points of Order consumed 43% of the sitting time. However, none of the Points of Order raised attracted the Chair’s formal ruling.

The parliamentary leaders of the PPPS, MMAP and PML attended the proceedings.

Legislators’ participation in Parliament proceedings

• The Joint Sitting met for three hours and 57 minutes.
• The sitting started at 1803 hours against the scheduled starting time of 1700 hours. The proceedings started late by an hour and three minutes.
• The Chairman Senate chaired the sitting for 44 minutes while the remaining time was presided over by the Speaker.
• The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition did not attend the proceedings.
• The parliamentary leaders of the PML, PPPS and MMAP were present while those of the MQM, NPP, ANP, PMLF and BNPA were absent.
• The Chief Whips of PPPP, PMLN, PML, ANP, MMAP and MQM were present.
• A total of 74 legislators were present at the start and 67 at the end of the sitting. A maximum of 190 Members were present at one point during the sitting.
• 14 Members applied for leave to be absent.

Representation and Responsiveness

• No Calling Attention Notices appeared on the Orders of the Day.

Parliamentary Output

• The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2009 was not taken up.
• Six legislators – three of the PPPP, one each of ANP and PMLN and an Independent Member – spoke on the report of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security for 66 minutes.

Order and institutionalization

• Twenty-four Points of Order consumed 101 minutes (43%) of the sitting time. However, none of the Points of Order raised attracted the Chair’s formal ruling.
• There were no instances of protests, boycotts or walkouts

Transparency

• Orders of the Day were available to legislators, observers and others.

• Information on legislators’ attendance was unavailable to observers and the public.

The Daily Factsheet is based on direct observation of National Assembly proceedings conducted by Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), a Member organization of FAFEN.