NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF PAKISTAN FAFEN PARLIAMENT MONITOR 14th SESSION September 13 - September 19, 2019 FREE AND FAIR ELECTION NETWORK www.fafen.org www.openparliament.pk ABBREVIATIONS ANP Awami National Party AMLP Awami Muslim League Pakistan BNP Balochistan National Party CANs Calling Attention Notices IND Independent Member MQMP Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan PML Pakistan Muslim League PML-N Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) PPPP Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians PTI Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf GDA Grand Democratic Alliance BAP Balochistan Awami Party JWP Jamhoori Wattan Party MMAP Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan 68 Percent Lawmakers Remain Inactive During Total Sittings 14th NA Session 11 Private Members and six government bills introduced 4 Parliamentary Leaders of PML and BNP-M remain absent during entire session The National Assembly of Pakistan (NA) addressed 32% percent of its scheduled business during its 14th session that continued between Sep 13, 2019 and Sep 19, 2019, observes Free and Fair Election Network in its Working session report. Days Of 341 lawmakers, 108 (32 percent) including 83 men and 25 women contributed to the proceedings of the House by sponsoring various parliamentary interventions and/or contributing in the debates. The active lawmakers were from BNP-M, GDA, MMAP, MQM, PML, PML-N, 7 PPPP and PTI. On the other hand, as many as 233 (68 percent) lawmakers including 189 men and 44 women did not participate in the proceedings throughout the session. The overall business including regular and supplementary agenda considered by the House during 14th session comprised 11 private members and six government bills, four ordinances, seven resolutions, Cumulative three Calling Attention Notices (CANs) and seven standing committee Duration reports. 1 Session, Duration and Attendance The 14th session of the National Assembly comprised four sittings held 9 between September 13, 2019 and September 19, 2019 spanning over Hours & 42 Minutes seven working days. The cumulative duration of the four sittings was nine hours and 42 minutes while breaks and suspension were observed for two hours and 14 minutes. Each sitting, on an average, started 33 minutes behind the scheduled time and lasted two hours and 25 minutes. The Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition did not attend Total any of the sittings. Break Time The parliamentary leaders of PPPP and BAP attended all four sittings followed by PML-N and MMAP (three each), ANP and GDA (two each) SSION HIGHLIGHTS and MQM and AMLP (one each). However, no sitting was attended by the parliamentary leaders of PML and BNP-M. 2 According to the headcount conducted by FAFEN observer, an Hours & 14 Minutes average of 63 lawmakers were present at the start and 66 at the adjournment of each sitting. The Speaker attended two and the Deputy SE Speaker attended three sittings of the session. The speaker presided over 46 percent of the session i.e. four hours and 27 minutes and the Deputy www.fafen.org 01 Speaker for three hours and one minute (31 percent of the proceedings). Average Sitting Delay 2 Assembly Output This section deals with the legislative business, resolutions, amendment to the rules, reports and documents presented before the House during 33 the session. 2.1 Legislation Minutes The legislative business scheduled for 14th session included 68 private members' bills and 12 government-sponsored bills. The House referred 11 private members' bills and six government bills to the relevant standing Members at Outset committees following their first reading i.e. introduction in the House. Six (Average) private members' bills were deferred due to absence of the concerned lawmakers. The House left the remaining 51 private members' bills unaddressed. The private members' legislation considered in the House was sponsored by the lawmakers belonging to PTI and MMAP. The House did not pass any bill during the session while four ordinances were also 63 laid in the House. present Below is the details of the bills, ordinances and amendments considered in the House. 2.1.1 Private Bills Introduced Members at End 1 The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Average) The bill seeks the role of Parliament to make laws and oversee delegated legislation related to Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation instead of Executive Government. Mover: Amjid Ali Khan (PTI) 66 Date of Introduction: Sep 17, 2019 present 2 The Pakistan Academy of Letters (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The bill seeks power to Parliament for making rules and overseeing delegated legislation related to Pakistan Academy of Letters instead of Executive Government. Mover: Riaz Fatyana (PTI) Maximum Date of Introduction: Sep 17, 2019 Member The Controller General of Accounts (Appointment, Functions and Powers) SSION HIGHLIGHTS 3 (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The bill seeks amendment for parliamentary role to make rules and oversee delegated legislation related to the Controller General of Accounts 226 (Appointment, Functions and Powers) instead of Executive Government. Mover: Riaz Fatyana (PTI) SE Date of Introduction: Sep 17, 2019 www.fafen.org 02 SITTINGS DURATION (hh:mm) 3:03 2:24 2:16 1:59 1 2 3 4 KEY MEMBERS’ ATTENDANCE Speaker Deputy Speaker Prime Minister Leader of the Opposition Attended Presided over Attended Presided over Attended Spent Attended Spent 2 46% 3 31% 0 0% 0 0% Sittings I Proceedings Sittings I Proceedings Sittings I time in the House Sittings I time in the House MEMBERS’ ATTENDANCE 105 79 77 63 62 47 42 41 1 2 3 4 Members Outset Members at End www.fafen.org 03 PARLIAMENTARY LEADERS ATTENDANCE Syed Naveed Qammar Khalid Hussain Magsi Rana Tanveer Asad Mehmood 4 4 3 3 PPPP I attended BAP I attended PML-N I attended MMAP I attended Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui Amir Haider Khan Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui 2 2 1 1 GDA I attended ANP I attended AMLP I attended MQMP I attended M. Akhtar Mengal Ch. Tariq Bashir Cheema 0 0 BNP-M I attended PML I attended www.fafen.org 04 The Chemical Fertilizers (Development Surcharge) (Amendment) 4 Bill, 2019 The bill seeks parliamentary role to make rules and oversee delegated legislation related to levy and collection of a development surcharge on chemical fertilizers instead of Executive Government. Mover: Amjid Ali Khan (PTI) 17 Date of Introduction: Sep 17, 2019 Total 5 The Safeguard Measures (Amendment) Bill, 2019 Bills The bill seeks power to Parliament to make rules and oversee delegated legislation related to imposition of safeguard measures instead of Executive Government. Mover: Syed Fakhar Imam (PTI) Date of Introduction: Sep 17, 2019 6 The Islamabad Transfusion of Safe Blood (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The bill seeks amendment for Parliamentary role instead of Executive 17 Government to make rules and oversee delegated legislation related to transfusion of safe blood. Bills Mover: Syed Fakhar Imam (PTI) Introduced Date of Introduction: Sep 17, 2019 7 The Transfer of Offenders (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The bill seeks amendment to empower Parliament instead of Executive government for making rules and overseeing delegated legislation related to transfer of a citizen of Pakistan convicted of an offence in a foreign country to Pakistan and a citizen of a foreign country convicted of an offence in Pakistan to that country. 11 Mover: Syed Fakhar Imam (PTI) Date of Introduction: Sep 17, 2019 Private Members’ The Islamabad Rent Restriction (Amendment) Bill, 2019 Bills Introduced 8 The bill seeks amendment to empower Parliament instead of Executive government to make rules and oversee delegated legislation about regulating the relations between the landlords and tenants of rented premises in the Islamabad Capital Territory. Mover: Riaz Fatyana (PTI) Date of Introduction: Sep 17, 2019 SSION HIGHLIGHTS 6 9 The Islamabad Club (Administration) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 Government The bill seeks amendment to empower Parliament instead of Executive Bills Introduced government to make rules and oversee delegated legislation related to proper administration of the affairs of the Islamabad Club. Mover: Amjid Ali Khan (PTI) SE Date of Introduction: Sep 17, 2019 www.fafen.org 05 10 The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (section 292, 293 & 294) The bill aims to amend the punishment for obscenity. The bill proposed amendment to change punishment for obscenity from "six months- or fine - or with both to two years and with fine of one hundred thousand rupees”. Mover: Moulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali (MMAP) 4 Date of Introduction: Sep 17, 2019 Ordinance The Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Laid 11 (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The bill seeks to empower Parliament instead of Executive government to make rules and oversee delegated legislation related to the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration. Mover: Syed Fakhar Imam (PTI) Date of Introduction: Sep 17, 2019 2.1.2 Govt. Bills Introduced The Superior Courts (Code Dress and Mode of Address) Order (Repeal), 7 1 Bill, 2019 The bill aims that the matter relating to Court dress and mode of address to Resolutions judges may be regulated by the Superior Courts. Mover: Muhammad Farogh Nasim (MQM) Date of Introduction: Sep 13, 2019 2 The Pakistan Coinage (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The bill aims to permanently ban union activities in Pakistan Mint through non- application of Industrial Relations Act, 2O12. Mover: Ali Muhammad Khan (PTI) 1 Date of Introduction: Sep 13, 2019 Resolution 3 The Banks (Nationalization) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 Adopted The bills suggests that regulatory supervision of all non-banking institutions