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| November 15, 2001 | Thursday | Shaba’an 28, 1422 |
AJK government’s performance irks speaker
MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 14: AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Sardar Siab Khalid on Wednesday passed remarks against the government for “evading its responsibilities,” after Acting Prime Minister Syed Mumtaz Ali Gillani failed to give his statement on a call attention notice.
The house, whose proceedings were boycotted by the opposition in protest against Tuesday’s ruling of the speaker regarding appointment of the acting prime minister, had taken up the notice by ruling party MLA Chaudhry Tariq Farooq about the problems of police constables. The notice was tabled six days ago and answer to it had been deferred till Wednesday.
After the question hour, the speaker asked the acting leader of the house, Mumtaz Gillani, to clarify the official position regarding the points raised by the mover. Instead of doing so, Mr Gillani asked Law Minister Raja Nisar Ahmed to deliver the statement.
However, much to his embarrassment, the minister said he was supposed to answer questions pertaining to departments without ministers in the absence of the leader of the house. But, he added, when the leader of the house was present in the house, he should give the answers himself.
Again, the speaker asked Mr Gillani to make the statement. But since he was not prepared, he requested that the notice should be deferred till Thursday. He said he was under the impression that the debate on the notice had already been held.
This infuriated the speaker, who said it was regrettable that the leader of the house did not have the relevant information. Shirking giving answers amounted to evading the responsibilities, said the speaker, and reminded Mr Gillani that since he was performing as the prime minister, the home department, being under his control, should have provided him the relevant details.
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