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CHAPTER VI - SITTINGS OF THE ASSEMBLY, CLASSIFICATION AND ARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS

CHATER VI

SITTINGS OF THE ASSEMBLY, CLASSIFICATION

AND ARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS


28.    NUMBER OF SESSIONS IN A YEAR:–

(1)        There shall be atleast three sessions of the Assembly in a parliamentary year and not more than one hundred and twenty days shall intervene between the last sitting of the Assembly in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next Session:

Provided that the Assembly shall meet for not less than one hundred working days in each parliamentary year.

(2)        The Assembly shall as minimum meet as per following schedule:-

June                             Not less than fifteen days

August                         Not less than seven days

September                   Not less than twelve days

October                       Not less than seven days

November                   Not less than seven days

December                    Not less than twelve days

January                        Not less than seven days

February                      Not less than seven days

March                          Not less than twelve days

April                            Not less than seven days

May                             Not less than seven days   .

        Total:-     Not less than hundred days

Provided that the Speaker shall apply his discretion to adjust the holidays with regard to the aforesaid schedule.

Provided further that nothing contained in this rule shall limit the powers of the Speaker to summon a requisitioned session of the Assembly to meet at any time under sub-rule (2) of rule 28.

Provided also that the Governor may summon the Assembly on any date.

Explanation:- In this sub-rule, “working days” includes any period not exceeding two days for which the Assembly is adjourned.

            (3)         Unless the Speaker otherwise directs –

(i)     the Assembly shall meet on the days of the week except Sundays and Holidays; and

(ii)   the Assembly shall observe the following timings:-

 

(a)           from 1st April to 30th September.

 

MONDAY                 

TUESDAY                

WEDNESDAY          From 10:00 a.m.  to 2:00 p.m.

THURSDAY             

FRIDAY                     

SATURDAY     

       

(b)    From 1st October to 31st March

 MONDAY                 

TUESDAY                  From 10.00 a.m. to 2-00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY         

THURSDAY             


FRIDAY                      From 10-00 a.m. to 1-00 p.m.

SATURDAY                 

 

(iii) if the business set down for the day is completed earlier or if it is not completed in time, the Speaker shall adjourn the Assembly; provided in case of closure being in progress, the Assembly shall be adjourned after the completion of the proceedings under the closure.

(4)        Every sitting of the Assembly shall commence with recitation of verses from the Holy Quran followed by its Urdu and Sindhi translations and a Naat Shareef in Urdu and Sindhi on alternate days.


29.     ADJOURNMENT OF SITTING:

Notwithstanding anything contained in these rules, the Speaker may, at any time, adjourn the sitting of the Assembly and call the sitting so adjourned, at time and date different from that to which it was adjourned and the change shall be intimated to the members through announcement on radio, television, newspapers and any other source of communication.


30.    CLASSES OF BUSINESS:

(1)        The business of the Assembly shall be classified as

                        (a)   Government business; or           

(b)   Private members’ business.

 (2)      Government business shall include Bills, Resolutions, Amendments and other Motions introduced or initiated by a Minister.

 (3)     Private members’ business shall include Bills, Resolutions, Amendments and other Motions introduced or initiated by private members.


31.    ALLOTMENT OF TIME FOR TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS :-

(1)        On Tuesday, the private business shall have precedence and on all other days, no business other than Government business, shall be transacted except with the consent of the Leader of the House or in his absence, the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs.

(2)       If there is no sitting on Tuesday, private members’ business shall have precedence on the next working day.

(3)       If any Tuesday is allotted by the Governor for the   presentation of the Budget or is allotted by the Speaker for    any stage of   the Budget referred to in rule 148, a day in lieu of such Tuesday shall be set apart by the Speaker for private members’ business.

 

32.       ARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS:

(1)        The Secretary shall arrange Government business in such an order as may be intimated by the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs or in his absence, any other Minister authorized by him.

            (2)      Subject to the provisions of sub-rule (3), on a day when private members’ business is to be transacted, such business shall be taken up in the following order

(a)          Bills to be introduced;

(b)         resolutions on matters of general public interest;

(c)          Bills which have been introduced; and

(d)         any other motion.

            (3)       The Speaker may direct that Bills and resolutions may be taken up on separate days. On the day when Bills are so taken up, not more than the first half of the day shall be allowed for Bills to be introduced and the rest of the day for Bills, if any, which have advanced beyond the stage of introduction.


33.    RELATIVE PRECEDENCE OF PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS :-

(1)        The relative precedence of private members’ Bills shall be determined by ballot.

            (2)      Unless the House otherwise decides, private members’ Bills shall be taken up in the following order -

(a)          Bills to be introduced;

(b)         Bills in respect of which the next stage is that the Bills be passed;

(c)          Bills in respect of which a motion has been carried that the Bill, as reported upon by a Standing or Select Committee, be taken into consideration;

(d)         Bills in respect of which the report of the Standing or the Select Committee has been presented;

(e)          Bills in respect of which the next stage is the presentation of the report of the Standing or the Select Committee; and

(f)          Bills which have been circulated for eliciting public opinion.

            (3)        The relative precedence of the Bills falling under the same clause of sub-rule (2) shall be determined by ballot.

           (4)       The ballot under this rule shall be held in accordance with the procedure set out in the Third Schedule, on such day, not being less than five days before the day with reference to which the ballot is held:

Provided that the Speaker may, from time to time, make such variations in the procedure as he thinks fit.


34.    PRECEDENCE OF RESOLUTIONS:

(1)       The relative precedence of resolutions, the notices of which have been given by the private members and which have been admitted, shall be determined by ballot to be held in accordance with the procedure set out in the Third Schedule, on such day, not being less than five days before the day with reference to which the ballot is held:

Provided that the Speaker may, from time to time, make such variations in the procedure as he thinks fit.

            (2)       A resolution which does not find place in the ballot shall not lapse but shall be included in the subsequent ballot in the same session.


35.      PRECEDENCE OF MOTIONS:  

The relative precedence of motions under rule 266 shall be determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in rule 33 with the variation that reference in that rule to resolutions shall be deemed as references to motions under rule 266.


36.      LIST OF BUSINESS:

(1)       The Secretary shall prepare a List of Business for a sitting and make a copy thereof available to every member and any other person entitled under the Constitution to speak or otherwise take part in the proceedings of the Assembly.

            (2)       Save as otherwise provided by these rules -

(a)              the business for the day shall be transacted in an order in which it appears in the List of Business; 

(b)             business not included in the List of Business shall not be transacted at a sitting without the leave of the Speaker; and

(c)              no business requiring notice shall be set down for a day earlier than the day following the day on which the period of the notice necessary for that class of business expires.

             (3)       Unless the Speaker otherwise directs, not more than fifteen Bills and not more than five resolutions, excluding any resolution commenced on, and outstanding from, a previous day, shall be set down in the List of Business for a day allotted for the disposal of private members’ business.


37.         BUSINESS OUTSTANDING AT THE END OF THE DAY:–

      If the business fixed for any day is not disposed on that day, it shall stand over until the next day available for such class of business or such other day in the session as member-in-charge of business may desire:

            Provided that private members’ business so standing over shall have no priority on such day unless it has been commenced, in such case it shall only have priority over other private members’ business except the Bills to be introduced.