KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly, which is about to enter its third year on May 29 during the five-year tenure, surpassed its performance of the first parliamentary year, with the passage of 41 government and four private bills.

Last year the assembly had passed 37 government bills and two private bills.

During the parliamentary year 2013-14, the assembly had received a total of 40 government bills and 35 private bills. Of the 40 bills, 37 had been passed and three withdrawn.

The assembly received 52 government bills and 12 private bills, including four money bills, during the second parliamentary year. Of the 52 government bills, 41 were passed, three were returned with the governor’s message, five were referred to the committees concerned and two others were under consideration while another was withdrawn.

As far as legislation of private bills was concerned, the assembly made a record this year by getting passed four of the 12 private bills it had received. Last year, only two of the 22 private bills it had received were passed. The four private bills, which were passed during this parliamentary year, pertained to The Altaf Hussain University at Karachi Bill, 2014, The Altaf Hussain University at Hyderabad Bill, 2014, The Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto University at Shaheed Benazirabad Bill, 2014, the Sindh Institute of Management and Technology Bill, 2014.

In the first parliamentary year 2013-14, 35 privilege motions were received. Out of 35 only four were referred to the committee on rules of procedure and privileges, report of one motion was presented in the house while two were ruled out of order, seven were withdrawn, six disposed off and 15 lapsed.

In the second parliamentary year, of the 22 motions received, five were referred to the committee, two were ruled out of order while three were withdrawn, six were disposed off and six were lapsed.

During this parliamentary year, the assembly in its total seven sessions covered 103 days out of 100 mandatory days with 63 actual sittings, 23 holidays while there was no sitting on 17 days. When compared to the first parliamentary year, the assembly sat six days more than the last parliamentary year when there were only sittings on 57 days in its 12 sessions with 23 holidays.

In the year 2014-15 the assembly received five ordinances which were laid in the house. Last year 17 ordinances were received, nine were laid while eight lapsed. In the Sindh province, the first assembly was inducted on April 27, 1934. The present assembly, which was formed after the May 11, 2013 general elections, is 14th Assembly of Sindh whose five-year term would be completed on May 28, 2018.

According to the party position in the house, Pakistan Peoples Party has 92 representatives in the assembly, Muttahida Qaumi Movement has 52, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional has 11, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has eight lawmakers while Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has four representatives and National Peoples Party has two seats.

Resolutions

During the parliamentary year 2013-14, the assembly received 226 resolutions, only 11 could get through while 215 lapsed. During the current parliamentary year, 105 resolutions were received. Of them, only 24 were passed while 80 resolutions lapsed.

Similarly, during the current parliamentary year, a total of 39 motions were received, one was pas­sed while 38 lapsed unlike the previous year when 106 motions were received 10 were passed and 96 lapsed.

As far as out-of-turn resolutions were concerned, the assembly secretariat had received 62 resolutions in the first parliamentary year all of which were passed. Similarly, during the second parliamentary year the assembly received and adopted 50 out-of-turn resolutions.

In the second parliamentary year 2014-15, a total of 97 adjournment motions were filed with the assembly secretariat but only one was found on merit and was admitted, while five others were withdrawn, 13 were ruled out of order, eight were disposed of and 69 lapsed. Previously, 75 adjournment mot­ions were filed, three admitted, two with­­drawn, seven ruled out of order, five were disposed of and 58 lapsed during the first parliamentary year 2013-14.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2015

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