Day: June 18, 2021

Islamabad, June 18, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Provincial Assembly of Balochistan witnessed the presentation of Provincial Annual Budget for the Financial Year 2021-2022 and the Supplementary Budget for the Financial Year 2020-2021 amid opposition’s boycott on Friday, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during first sitting of the budget (40th) session:

Members’ Participation

The House met for an hour and 15 minutes.

The sitting started at 06:05 pm against the scheduled time of 04:00 pm.

The speaker presided over the entire sitting while the deputy speaker was also present.

The leader of the House attended the entire proceedings.

The leader of the opposition did not attend the sitting.

As many as 33 MPAs (51%) were present at the outset and 31 (48%) at the adjournment of the sitting.

The parliamentary leaders of ANP, BNP-A, JWP, HDP and BAP attended the proceedings.

As many as one out of three minority lawmakers was present.

Representation and Responsiveness

The Finance Minister presented the Annual Budget for the Financial Year 2021-2022 and the Supplementary Budget for the Financial Year 2020-2021 in the House along with the Finance Bill 2021.

Order and Institutionalization

The entire opposition boycotted the proceedings and did not attend the sitting.

The House was later adjourned to meet again on Monday, June 21, 2021 at 04:00 pm.

Transparency

‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.

The attendance of lawmakers was not available to the observers and media.

For more information, contact:
Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN)
FAFEN Representative
FAFEN Secretariat 224, Margalla Road F-10/3 – Islamabad
Tel: +92-51-2211026
Fax: +92-51-2211047
Cell: +92-321-5017355, +92-301-8549188
Email: media@fafen.org
URL: www.fafen.org

Islamabad, June 18, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Senate continued debate on Finance Bill, 2021 and referred four government bills to the relevant committees for further consideration, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet on Friday.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during 4th sitting of 312th session:

Members’ Participation

The House met for two hours and 52 minutes.

The sitting started 10:03 am pm against the scheduled time of 10:00 am.

The chairman presided over the proceedings for an hour and 27 minutes while the remaining sitting was chaired by the deputy chairman.

The leader of the House attended the entire sitting.

The leader of the opposition was present for an hour and 30 minutes.

As many as 32 lawmakers (32 percent) were present at the outset and 14 (14 percent) at the adjournment of the sitting.

The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, PTI, JI, PML-N, MQMP, ANP, PML-Q and JUI attended the sitting.

Two out of four minority lawmakers were also present.

Output

Chairman Standing Committee on Human Rights presented report on the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2021 and the Islamabad Capital Territory Senior Citizens Bill, 2021.

The House witnessed introduction of four government bills, which were the Federal Medical Teaching Institute Bill, 2021: the National Institute of Health (Re-organization) Bill, 2021; the Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2021. All these bills were referred to the relevant committees for further consideration.

Representation and Responsiveness

Six lawmakers participated in the budget discussion consuming two hour and 15 minutes of the proceedings.

Order and Institutionalization

The House was adjourned to meet again on Monday, June 21, 2021 at 04:00 pm.

Transparency

‘Orders of the Day’ was available to the legislators, observers and public.

The attendance of lawmakers is available on Senate website.

For more information, contact:
Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN)
FAFEN Representative
FAFEN Secretariat 224, Margalla Road F-10/3 – Islamabad
Tel: +92-51-2211026
Fax: +92-51-2211047
Cell: +92-321-5017355, +92-301-8549188
Email: media@fafen.org
URL: www.fafen.org

Islamabad, June 18, 2021 (PPI-OT):Coalition for Inclusive Pakistan (CIP) has stressed upon the federal and provincial governments and legislatures to take effective measures to protect the political and electoral rights of the marginalized groups including women, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and transgender persons.

CIP – a coalition of 170 Pakistani organizations working for the rights of women, PWDs, and transgender persons – put forward the recommendations for inclusive electoral reforms here at a press conference on Friday. These recommendations were aimed at enhancing the electoral and political participation of women, PWDs and transgender persons. They were prepared in light of the Elections Act, 2017 and direct observation of GE-2018 by groups of women, PWDs and transgender persons in federal and provincial capitals. In the presser, the CIP representatives shared the details of these recommendations.

For enhanced women’s political and electoral participation, CIP demanded to launch voter education campaigns in the areas where female voter turnout remained low during General Election 2018. Moreover, CIP urged the Parliament to reform the method of election on seats reserved for women and non-Muslims in National and Provincial Assemblies to ensure equitable regional representation. Currently, most of the legislators elected on these seats represent only provincial capitals or a few major cities. CIP also recommended to bind political parties through amendments in the Elections Act 2017 to ensure 33 percent women’s representation in organizational structures of political parties at all levels. CIP also demanded to increase the minimum limit for women representation in candidates for general seats of National and Provincial Assemblies from five percent to at least 10 percent.

For PWDs’ political and electoral participation, CIP demanded reservation of seats for them in legislatures. Moreover, it recommended Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure that all polling facilities are accessible for PWDs. CIP also urged the political parties to establish wings for PWDs and transgender persons on the pattern of women wings.

To improve transgender persons’ political and electoral participation, CIP demanded the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding registration of transgender persons in letter and spirit. In this regard, CIP members called for constituting district committees to facilitate transgender persons acquiring NICs. CIP also urged ECP to separately provide the number of transgender voters in the country and to include transwomen (trans feminine) in female voter lists and transmen (trans masculine) in male voter lists. CIP also recommended ECP to include the prefix of Mx. in the election forms along with Mr./Mrs./Ms. for transgender persons.

CIP representatives also highlighted the difficulties being faced by PWDs in getting NICs and demanded to introduce one-window operation for their smooth registration. In addition, CIP stressed upon reducing the nomination fee for candidates to enable marginalized communities – who are also economically less-resourced in most cases – to take part in elections as candidates. It further recommended to declare the act of harassing women or transgender persons as cognizable offence under section 509 of Pakistan Penal Code.

For more information, contact:
Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN)
FAFEN Representative
FAFEN Secretariat 224, Margalla Road F-10/3 – Islamabad
Tel: +92-51-2211026
Fax: +92-51-2211047
Cell: +92-321-5017355, +92-301-8549188
Email: media@fafen.org
URL: www.fafen.org

Islamabad, June 18, 2021 (PPI-OT):An ardent advocate for the rights of vulnerable people particularly persons with disabilities (PWD) Syeda Imtiaz Fatima has been elected Chairperson of the Coalition for Inclusive Pakistan (CIP), a unique grouping of more than 170 civil society organizations led and staffed by persons with disabilities, transgender persons and women.

Fatima, who is suffering from polio-associated physical disability, has coasted her wheelchair to lead efforts for greater social, economic, political and electoral emancipation of the PWD in the country. Her deniability has never been a barrier in her way to raise the cause of vulnerable segments of population in the country. “I am humbled for the confidence that CIP members have reposed on me and I wish to lead this forum to become strongest voice of the voiceless communities,” said Fatima after her oath-taking ceremony that was held in Islamabad.

CIP is working to promote and protect the political and electoral rights of PWDs, transgender persons and women. It has 15 Regional Chapters and a National Body comprising three members from each province and Gilgit Baltistan.

Hailing from Lahore, Imtiaz Fatima was earlier elected as member of National Body of CIP on PWDs-seat from Punjab. A woman living with polio-associated disability, Imtiaz Fatima is working for the welfare of PWDs since more than 26 years. She is among the pioneer members of CIP and has also been associated with various other civil society alliances such as Peace and Justice Network. She is associated with Voice Society for the Rehabilitation of Special Persons. She has also been a member of Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) District Voter Education Committee (DVEC) in Lahore. She is also a creative writer and an artist.

Having compounded vulnerabilities because of her gender and her disability, she said, she had first-hand experience of the struggle that persons from marginalized segments of society go through to find place in political and electoral spaces. She asserted her efforts would be focused on transforming CIP into a platform that strives towards realizing the constitutional rights of PWDs, transgender persons, and women. Despite being very different communities, PWDs, transgender persons and women face similar neglect in political spheres which have unfortunately been reserved for only men and that was what we ought to change, Fatima said.

We would make our vulnerabilities our strengths and would not let anyone or anything usurp our rights, she said. Talking about her own struggles, Fatima shared that. “And this is exactly what I preach”, said Imtiaz Fatima.

For more information, contact:
Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN)
FAFEN Representative
FAFEN Secretariat 224, Margalla Road F-10/3 – Islamabad
Tel: +92-51-2211026
Fax: +92-51-2211047
Cell: +92-321-5017355, +92-301-8549188
Email: media@fafen.org
URL: www.fafen.org

Islamabad, June 18, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Punjab Assembly continued general discussion on provincial budget 2021-22 and 25 lawmakers took part in the debate, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) its Daily Factsheet on Friday.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during the third sitting of the 33rd session:

Members’ Participation

The House met for four hours and 58 minutes.

The sitting started at 03:38 pm against the scheduled time of 02:00 pm.

The speaker was absent.

The deputy speaker chaired the sitting for an hour and 22 minutes, while a member of panel of chairpersons chaired the rest of the proceedings.

The Leaders of the House (Chief Minister) and the opposition leader did not attend the proceedings.

As many as 25 MPAs (seven percent) were present at the outset and 20 (five percent) at the adjournment of the sitting.

The parliamentary leader of PPPP attended the proceedings.

As many as five out of eight minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Representation and Responsiveness

Twenty-five lawmakers – PTI (12), PMLN (11) and one each from PML and PPPP – took part in debate on the provincial annual budget 2021-22. They spoke on it four hours and 32 minutes.

Order and Institutionalization

Minister for Prisons Department walked out from the House at 04:21 pm when the chair did not allow him to raise a point of order.

The House was adjourned to meet again on Saturday, June 19, 2021 at 10:00 am.

Transparency

‘Orders of the Day’ was available on Assembly’s website.

Information on Members’ attendance is available on Assembly’s website.

For more information, contact:
Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN)
FAFEN Representative
FAFEN Secretariat 224, Margalla Road F-10/3 – Islamabad
Tel: +92-51-2211026
Fax: +92-51-2211047
Cell: +92-321-5017355, +92-301-8549188
Email: media@fafen.org
URL: www.fafen.org