A file photo of the Senate. PHOTO: FILE
The 99th session of Senate could not address almost 41% of agenda items on the Order of the Day.
The session was marked by the passage of a private member’s bill and adoption of four resolutions amid low attendance of senators.
This was revealed by a report prepared by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), based on direct observation released on Saturday.
The House left 41% (21 out of 51) agenda items on the Orders of the Day, unaddressed. Nearly 60% (16 of 27 items) of the private member’s agenda on the Orders of the Day was not taken up as it was set ambitiously. Two resolutions, a motion under rule 218 and a question of privilege appeared as supplementary agenda, stated the report.
The Senate remained in session from December 2 till 20, consuming 33 hours and 47 minutes. On average, each sitting spanned two hours and 36 minutes, observing a 40 minutes delay. The House took four breaks taking up 6% (115 minutes) of the proceedings, the report said.
Major legislations included passage of the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2013 that was introduced during the session’s first sitting. In addition, three anti-terrorism ordinances: The Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 (Ordinance No.VII); the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 (Ordinance No.VIII) and the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance, 2013, were presented before the House.
The standing committees on Foreign Affairs, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan; Climate Change, Defence and Defence Production; Cabinet Secretariat; Rules of Procedure and Privileges; and Capital Administration and Development laid their reports before the House.
Two resolutions
Additionally, Senate tabled two resolutions; the first recommending the government to publish names of the judges of superior judiciary holding dual nationality and the second calling upon the government to construct new water reservoirs in order to meet the water shortage in the country.
According to the report, the House debated five adjournment motions under Rule 218 regarding procedure laid down for appointment of superior court judges, steps required to be taken by the government to address the growing water scarcity in the country, the recent price-hike specially the prices of petroleum products, gas and electricity and essential items, and the government’s foreign policy on various subjects.
During the eleventh sitting, the finance minister briefed the House for 22 minutes on the government’s policy statement on the loans taken from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Attendance
The parliamentary leaders of ANP and MQM were more regular as each attended 12 sittings, followed by BNPA and JUI-F parliamentary heads (four sittings each). The PML-N parliamentary leader attended three.
Chairman of Senate Nayyar Hussain presided over 58% (19 hours and 33 minutes) of the session while the remaining time was chaired by the deputy chairman. The Leader of the House attended 12 sittings for 30 hours while the Leader of the Opposition attended 10 sittings for 22 hours and 16 minutes.
Ministerial absence was observed in the Question Hour. Only 80 of 235 starred questions (requiring oral replies) appearing on the agenda were taken up and responded to by the relevant ministry. Additionally, legislators asked 275 supplementary questions.
House work
The House took up three calling attention notices on the delimitation of constituencies for the upcoming local government elections, the government proposal of closing down 450 small railway stations and auction of railway land and the alleged involvement of Islamabad Police personnel in criminal activities.
A total of 85 points of order were raised which consumed 13% of the session time. Three privilege motions, tabled separately by two ANP and one PPPP lawmakers, were referred to the concerned committees.
The House witnessed six token walkouts by the opposition consuming 27 minutes of the session time. The protests were regarding unsatisfactory answers provided by ministers during the Question Hour, discriminatory coverage of members’ speeches on state owned television channel, PTV, the privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills, delay in the calling of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting, and provision of natural gas to Zhob, Balochistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2013.
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