Balochistan Assembly’s legislative output falls

QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly’s performance improved in terms of working longer hours during its fourth parliamentary year against the previous year, but it fell behind in terms of legislative productivity, Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) stated in its annual report.

The assembly’s legislative output was reduced to less than half of what it achieved last year, the report stated.

The Assembly passed eight bills this year while it adopted 19 legislative proposals during the preceding year.
Other than working for longer hours, no considerable improvement was observed against its last year’s performance in most indicators.

Just like previous years, the sittings started with longer delays. In fact, the average delay in commencement of a sitting increased from the previous year’s 42 minutes to 44 minutes this year.

Similarly, half of the working days were actually off-days when no sitting was held.

The average maximum attendance during a sitting was stated to be 32 this year against 33 last year. The chief minister’s attendance also declined: he attended 47 per cent of the sittings against the previous CM’s attendance of 74 per cent.

The incidence of quorum identification also increased from previous year’s four to six this year. The Speaker attended 88 per cent of the sittings and presided over 72 per cent of the proceedings while the office of the deputy speaker remained vacant since December 2015.

Terrorism hit the province four times over the past year. These incidents claimed the lives of at least 230 persons. Moreover, investigations into a mega corruption scandal involving the financial advisor of former Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch among others and military successes against insurgents were among important events during the year.

Provincial legislators held discussions on law and order, governance crisis, power shortages, census issues and blockages of CNICs in certain areas of the province. But, the assembly took no legislative action on these issues.

A major part of the provincial legislation was on subjects devolved under the 18th Amendment. Approved legislations included eight bills relating to traffic regulations, security forces, low cost housing and children’s welfare, senior citizens and persons with special needs.

Moreover, bills for prohibiting child marriages and setting up provincial commission on status of women and mass transit authority were forwarded to committees for review.

The assembly also adopted 44 resolutions on issues relating to governance, energy crisis, health, education, agriculture and political affairs.

The assembly amended its rules of procedure by making provisions for constituting Business Advisory Committee, empowering standing committees to appoint sub-committees and raising public importance issues via Call Attention Notices, Zero Hour and Points of Public Importance. This was the first time in the past four years that assembly rules were amended.

The Assembly made Call Attention Notices part of its rules in March this year during 34th session. Since then, lawmakers used this intervention six times to draw the government’s attention towards the absence of youth policy, regulation of conditions and salaries of public servants and release of funds for various government departments.

Lawmakers also submitted seven adjournment motions in the assembly seeking debates on the security situation in the province.

Source: The Express Tribune