Opposition requisitions fresh PA session: 9-point agenda submitted
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, March 31: The combined opposition in the NWFP Assembly on Wednesday submitted a requisition with the speaker's secretariat for convening a fresh session after Speaker Bakht Jahan Khan prorogued the house for an indefinite period earlier in the day.
The opposition was of the view that the government had failed to satisfy the house on the issues of annual development programme, non-execution of schemes identified under the Tamir-i-Sarhad programme, net hydel profit, provincial finance commission, while it was also unable to give reply on the issue of recruitment of Class-IV employees in the province.
Talking to newsmen in the opposition leader's chamber, parliamentary leaders of the opposition groups alleged that the speaker had ignored their items on the agenda and prorogued the session. It was unfair as he (the speaker) did not take them into confidence, they maintained.
Leader of the Opposition, Shahzada Gastasap, said the chair had saved the government on the Ecnec issue by proroguing the session abruptly. The provincial government had not sent a single development scheme to Ecnec this year and hence would not be able to receive financial assistance from the federal government for mega projects, he claimed.
Anwar Kamal Khan of the PML-N said it seemed the government did not realize the importance of Ecnec, otherwise it would certainly have fought for its rights. He said the government had not responded to even a single question raised by the opposition in the assembly on the financial rights of the province.
He said the opposition was trying to sort out the issue of Class-IV employees recruitment with the government, but the speaker prorogued the assembly. It was a very serious matter which concerned both the MPAs as well as general public, he added.
Education minister had recruited 86 Class-IV employees in his native Swabi district without consulting the opposition MPAs from the district, he claimed. Bashir Bilour of the ANP said the resolutions tabled by the opposition on the NFC Award and net hydel profit had strengthened the position of the NWFP at the NFC forum in Islamabad. Finance Minister Sirajul Haq had the support of entire house on these issues, he added.
PPP's Abdul Akbar Khan said the opposition had prepared a strong case which helped the government in its dealing with the federal government. The NWFP government, however, failed to satisfy the opposition on the issues raised by it in the house, he added.
The PPP leader said the government had failed to respond to the opposition's questions regarding non-execution of the ADP and TSP schemes, recruitment of Class-IV employees, agriculture income tax and a host of call attention notices. He said the speaker had shelved his adjournment motion which sought a debate on the recent rocket attack on Peshawar city by terrorists.
He said the opposition was left with no option but to submit a fresh requisition. "A nine-point agenda has also been submitted," he added. Mr Bakht Jahan, who was present at the opposition's chamber, refuted the claims of the opposition leaders, and said he had informed Mr Gastasap that he would prorogue the session today. It had been a very fruitful session wherein lawmakers discussed all the issues, Mr Bakht Jahan Khan said.
Earlier, the house had passed the North West Frontier Province (Medical Relief) Endowment Fund Bill, 2004, with seven amendments proposed by the opposition MPAs - Abdul Akbar Khan (PPP) and Bashir Ahmed Bilour (ANP).
The bill was introduced by Health Minister Inayatullah Khan on March 26. He told the house that the government had reserved Rs50 million seed money for the endowment fund. The government wanted to bring structural changes to the health care system by putting maximum amount in the social sector.
On a point of order, Dr Salim told the house that he, along with other MPAs, had gone to meet the chief minister on the recruitment issue, but the chief minister did not call them for a meeting. After this, he said, what else do they (MPAs) expect from the government.
