FAFEN Daily Factsheet: Sitting No.8, Session No.24of the National Assembly

National Assembly PassesThree Bills

ISLAMABAD, August 5, 2015: The National Assembly passed three bills amidst low attendance of lawmakers during the 8thsitting of its ongoing 24th session on Wednesday, says the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

The sitting started 20 minutes behind the schedule with 28legislators (8%) present at the start and 157 (46%) at the time of adjournment.The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition attended the sitting while none of the PTI lawmakerswas present.

Two Calling Attention Notices (CANs) regarding unavailability of development funds for lawmakers belonging to FATA and outbreak of various diseases in flood hit areas were taken up.

The House passedthe Credit Bureaus Bill 2015 as forwarded by the Senate with amendments along with the Islamabad Subordinate Judiciary Service Tribunal Bill 2015 and the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2013.

The House witnessed the presentation of report about the Pakistan Health Research Council Bill 2015. Six periodical reports were also presented in the House which included Standing Committee on Government Assurances’ report from December, 2013 to November, 2014; Standing Committee on Housing and Works’ report from November, 2013 to December 2014;Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges’ report from Marchto December, 2014;Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications’ report from December 2013 to December 2014; Standing Committee on Defense Production’s report from January to December, 2014 and report of Standing Committee on Textile Industry from March to December, 2014.

The House did not discuss a motion of thanks to express gratitude to the President of Pakistan for his address to the joint session on June 4, 2015 while a commenced motion under rule 259 regarding deaths in Sindh and other areas due to heat wave was also not taken up.

Some key observations are as follows:

Members’ Participation in the House Proceedings

  • The National Assembly met forthree hours and two minutes
  • The sitting started at 1050 hours against the scheduled time of 1030 hours
  • The Speaker chaired the entire sitting while the Deputy Speaker was also present
  • The Prime Minister attended the sitting for 82 minutes
  • The Opposition Leader was present for 112minutes
  • Twenty-eightmembers (8%) were present at the start and 157 (46%) at the end of the sitting. As many as 172lawmakers (50%) were present at one point of the sitting.
  • The parliamentary leadersof PML, PML-Z and ANP did not attend the sitting.
  • Five out of 10 minority members attended the sitting.
  • Eighteen members applied for leave.

Output

  • The House passedthe Credit Bureaus Bill 2015 as forwarded by the Senate with amendments along with the Islamabad Subordinate Judiciary Service Tribunal Bill 2015 and the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2013.
  • The House witnessed the presentation of report about the Pakistan Health Research Council Bill 2015.

Representation and Responsiveness

  • The House took up two Calling Attention Notices (CANs) regarding unavailability of development funds for lawmakers belonging to FATA and outbreak of various diseases in flood hit areas.
  • Seven out of 29 starred questions appearing on the agenda were taken up. Additionally, lawmakers raised 13 supplementary questions.

Order and Institutionalization

  • Thirteen Points of Order consumed 24minutes of the sitting.

Transparency

  • ‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others

This daily factsheet is based on direct observation of the National Assembly proceedings conducted by Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) – a member organization of FAFEN. Errors and omissions are excepted.