PESHAWAR: Debate on autonomy, rights extended - Judicial inquiry into student abuse urged
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, March 9: The debate on the National Finance Commission and provincial government's assent to arbitration on the net hydel profit proposed by the federal government
continued in the NWFP Assembly for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.
The session was presided over by Speaker Bakht Jahan Khan. The debate was extended for one more day by the chair at the request of opposition members, who wanted to complete the discussion on issues regarding financial and political autonomy.
Mushtaq Ghani of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q advised the provincial government to cooperate with the federal government on crucial national issues in return for financial assistance. He urged the NWFP government to return all high-interest loans obtained by successive provincial governments from the federal government.
An independent MPA from Kaghan Valley, Mazhar Qasim Shah, urged the NWFP government to direct the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited, Oil and Gas Development Corporation, oil and gas exploration companies and other corporations to allocate 14 per cent of their development budget for the Frontier province.
He urged the provincial government to seek an overall increase of 50 per cent in the NFC award. Opposition leader Shahzada Gistasip said the opposition would continue to support the NWFP government on provincial rights.
He said the combined opposition had requisitioned the session to enlighten the provincial government to take a logical stand at the NFC forum on the financial rights.
Makhdoom Mureed Kazim, Jamshed Khan and Arshad Khan of the Pakistan People's Party (Sherpao group), Nadir Shah, Habibur Rehman and Amanat Shah of the MMA spoke on the issues and offered suggestions to the finance minister, who is a member of the NFC award.
Earlier, on a point of order by Farah Aqil Shah of the Awami National Party, the speaker gave his ruling on a sexual abuse case reported in a city high school, ordering the government to hold a judicial inquiry and submit the report within one month.
It may be recalled that the government had held a number of inquiries into the allegations but the departmental inquiry committee had absolved the teachers allegedly involved in the sexual abuse of school boys.
Lawmakers also complained about the dilipated condition of the MAPs hostel. MPA Rifaat Akbar Swati, Muzzafar Said, Wajihuzzaman, Amanat Shah and others said lawmakers were constrained to suffer unhygienic conditions there, complaining about the abundance of rats in the hostel.
Rifaat Swati expressed surprise over the fact that rooms allocated for women legislators lacked kitchens while the rooms reserved for men had kitchens. Amanat Shah said they had been without telephone for the past two months because of the lack of a exchange at the MPAs hostel.
Chief minister Akram Khan Durrani assured the MPAs that a new telephone exchange would be installed within a month, adding that the renovation of the hostel building would be completed within the same period.
Earlier, the opposition staged a walkout on a remarks made by Tajul Amin Jabal of the MMA on the status of the womenfolk. But, Mr Jabal explained that his remarks should not be misinterpreted. Later, the speaker adjourned the session till 10am on Wednesday.
