Quorum woes delay two proposed bills

Passage of two bills delayed for three days, as only 12 members present in Balochistan Assembly.

QUETTA: Balochistan Assembly Speaker Aslam Bhootani on Monday bemoaned the lack of legislator interest in house proceedings which delayed the passage of a two bills by atleast three days.

The session met under the chairmanship of Speaker Aslam Bhootani after a delay of 40 minutes and started with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Soon after the recitation, members of the treasury bench, Ali Madad Jatak drew the attention of the house towards the absence of fellow members and the incomplete quorum.

The speaker adjourned the session for 15 minutes and then for another five minutes so that the house quorum could be complete.

However, when the session resumed each time after the break, there were still just a few members present. Only 12 members were present in the house – well short of the minimum 17 deputies required for the assembly proceedings to go on. The Balochistan Assembly has 65 members. “We were supposed to pass some legislation today but because of the absence of deputies in large numbers the session is being adjourned without enacting any legislation,” he said, referring to two proposed bills and a resolution.

On Oct 8, two bills were moved in the house – the Balochistan Investigation and Anti-Corruption and Societies Registration (Balochistan Amendment).

“People had elected the members with the hope that they will resolve their problems but it is a matter of great concern that ministers are not taking interest in the assembly sessions,” he said adding that he could only express sorrow in such a situation and request them to be punctual.

He asked the irrigation minister to inform the leader of the house Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani about the lack of interest shown by his cabinet members. He said that this matter should be taken up with the provincial chief minister so that the assembly could be run smoothly. The speaker adjourned the session till October 14.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2010.