PESHAWAR, Dec 26: The NWFP assembly has asked the government to take up the issue of highway robbery with the Punjab government and make the passage safe for the NWFP passengers passing through Punjab.

The third assembly session, presided over by speaker Bakht Jahan Khan, which had been convened on Dec 23, resumed its proceedings on law and order on Thursday.

The house focused mainly on the construction of Mardan-Swat Road, resurrection of the Frontier Cooperative Bank, Lowari Tunnel and highway robberies at Bannu-Lahore highway near Mianwali.

Maulana Abdul Raziq of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, on a point of order, drew the attention of the house towards a highway robbery that happened on Dec 24 near Mianwali on the Lahore-Bannu Road. A young man of 20 lost his life and two others sustained injuries in the incident. The dacoits deprived dozens of passengers of their valuables and cash.

He asked the provincial government to take up the issue with Punjab government and make security arrangements foolproof for the Karachi-bound vehicles.

Supporting the issue, Anwar Kamal Marwat of the PML-N said that a particular gang of robbers had chosen Lahore-Bannu Road near Mianwali for their unlawful activities. The provincial law minister, Malik Zafar Azam, assured them that the government would take concrete measures to tackle the issue and discuss the matter with Punjab government.

Bashir Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party, through an adjournment motion, pressed for the initiation of spadework on the Lowari Tunnel, which is to connect Chitral with the rest of the country through land route.

He said Chitralis should be provided alternative routes, by starting additional flights to Chitral from Peshawar and Islamabad.

Muzafar Syed Advocate from Dir drew the attention of the house towards the closure of the Frontier Cooperative Bank, which he said had deprived 250 employees of their jobs and thousands of small farmers of a window to soft loans for purchasing seeds and other agricultural equipment.

He said the federal government was providing funds to the cooperative banks in other provinces, but had closed it in the NWFP.

Abdul Akbar Khan of the PPP and Bashir Ahmed Bilour of the ANP also spoke on the issue and said the cooperative bank had been established 60 years ago for the welfare of small farmers, but the military government had closed it on the pretext that it was providing loans at a high interest rate.

They said the agriculture was the main source of income for the people and the farmers community need be given relief.

Qari Mehmood, provincial minister for agriculture, regretted over the closure of the cooperative bank in the NWFP.

Pir Mohammad from Swat moved an adjournment motion regarding the construction of Mardan-Swat and Shangla Road.