February 26, 2003	Wednesday	Zul Hijjah 24, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 25: The issue of renaming the NWFP is likely to be agitated especially by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in the National Assembly during its 4th session beginning on Wednesday.

The ruling coalition on the other hand has prepared its own strategy to foil the opposition’s attempts to force the Speaker to take up the relevant resolution already submitted to the NA Secretariat by Amir Muqam, MNA from Shangla district of the Frontier province.

NWFP Chief Minister Akram Durrani recently announced that he agreed to the proposed renaming of the province, but he wants a consensus name instead of Pukhtunistan, which he says reflects aspirations of only one ethno-political section of the province.

Acting Speaker Sardar Mohammad Yaqub, when contacted for the official position on Mr Muqam’s resolution, said: “Since the House will be engaged in a debate on Iraq, it will not be possible for taking up the said resolution at least in the 4th session”.

“The speaker’s secretariat right now is stuck up with

the task of setting up House standing committees and appointment of parliamentary secretaries,” said the acting speaker.