Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Assembly passed the Sindh Occupational Safety and Health Bill 2017 on Friday and took up five calling attention notices (CANs) highlighting governance issues in Karachi.

The Sindh Assembly met for two hours and 13 minutes. The sitting started at 1152 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours. The speaker presided over the entire sitting, while deputy speaker also attended the sitting. The leader of the house (chief minister) attended the sitting for 44 minutes. The leader of the opposition did not attend the sitting. As many as 52 (31%) lawmakers were present at the outset and 51 (30%) at the adjournment of the sitting. The parliamentary leaders of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Muslim League -F, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Muttahida Quami Movement attended the sitting. Five minority members attended the sitting, while two applied for leave.

The house unanimously passed the Sindh Occupational Safety and Health Bill 2017.

The house took up four out of eight starred questions for answers during the proceedings. Lawmakers raised 25 supplementary questions as well. The house did not take up an adjournment motion on the agenda due to absence of concerned lawmakers.

The house took up five CANs regarding non-functional water filtration plants in Karachi, charging examination fee from school students in Karachi, recruitments in Education Department, faulty water supply line in an area of Karachi and blockage of a street in Clifton block-2 Karachi.

A CAN remained unaddressed due to absence of the relevant lawmaker. The house adopted a motion to elect a member on a vacant seat of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs. Three lawmakers raised eight points of order consuming as many minutes of the proceedings.

Published in Daily Times, November 18^th 2017.