The Senate passed a total of 31 bills, met for a total duration of 127 hours and 58 minutes in the 10 sessions including three joint sessions and three requisition sessions, while the average attendance of the senators in the Senate sessions remained less than 70 per cent (69 per cent exactly) in the recently ended parliamentary year 2019-2020.
According to parliamentary year 2019-2020 report released by the Senate Secretariat on Thursday, the number of Senate's working days in the parliamentary year 2019-2020 (March 12 2019-March 11, 2020) was 110, out of which the Senate held "actual sittings" (excluding requisition and joint sessions) for 65 days. On average, 71 members attended each Senate session, which makes an average attendance of 69 per cent in each Senate session.
The maximum attendance in the Senate session was 100 members, recorded in the 292nd session on August 1, 2019, whereas the minimum attendance was 55 members recorded on November 15, 2019 during 294th session, according to the report.
The longest Senate sitting was five hours and six minutes recorded on March 4, 2020 and shortest Senate sitting was 15 minutes recorded on July 23, 2019.
The average hours per sitting were two hours and four minutes, the report says.
The summary of legislation in the parliamentary year 2019-2020 suggests, government bills received from the National Assembly during 2019-2020 and passed by the Senate in parliamentary year 2019-2020 were 16 bills, private members' bills introduced in the Senate during parliamentary 2019-2020 were 34, private members' bills introduced and passed by the Senate during parliamentary year 2019-2020 were 12, and government bills introduced in the Senate and passed by the Senate during parliamentary year 2019-2020 were three.
Meanwhile, four ordinances were laid in the Senate during the parliamentary year 2019-2020. Overall, 45 resolutions compared to 31 resolutions in the preceding parliamentary year were passed.
Matters discussed through motions under Rule 218 more than doubled from 11 to 27.
In addition, a large number of points of public importance were raised during the Zero Hour. As many as 386 meetings of Senate committees were held during parliamentary year 2019-2020 compared to 196 in the previous year disposing of legislative business, exercising oversight on the executive, and intervening for relief to the public at large in various matters, according to the report.
"Internationally, the Senate played a robust role by asserting its principled stance in many international conferences held in the PY 2019-2020. The delegations represented the Senate on issues such as gender equality, trade, economics, climate change, human rights, terrorism, health, education and more. Most importantly, the delegations from the Senate of Pakistan left no stone unturned to highlight the brutal violence and atrocities being committed against the brave people of the Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir. These efforts resulted in widespread awareness and international condemnation of the inhuman treatment meted out to Kashmiris under an unending curfew by the Indian occupying forces," a press release from the Senate Secretariat said.
Outreach programmes and initiatives continued with full zeal and vigour for the creation of awareness among public in general and youth in particular about participatory democracy.
Senate of Pakistan laid special emphasis on national austerity drive and considerable savings were made in all heads, the press release added.
On the Secretariat front, administrative reforms were introduced and facilities provided to the senators and Senate staff, were improved.
Some such initiatives included establishing a Parliamentary Coffee Corner in the building, increasing office spaces, renovation, modernisation etc.
A rotation policy was also adopted for the very first time to allow officers and staff to experience working in various branches, one such was the rotation of table officers in the House during the Senate session, so as to train all officers in the core House business, the press release added.