04 September 2004	Saturday	18 Rajab 1425

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PESHAWAR, Sept 3: The joint opposition in the NWFP assembly is set to give tough time to the treasury benches during the forthcoming session of the provincial legislature over the question of what the opposition leaders termed non-implementation of the Shariat Act and non-fulfilment of promises the government had made about judicious distribution of development funds.

Interviews with leaders of the parliamentary groups that form joint opposition in the provincial assembly indicated that the treasury benches would be required to offer a lot of explanations on law and order situation in the province, distribution of development funds among members of the PA, price hike, unemployment, recently carried out postings and transfers of the government employees and implementation of the recommendations formulated by various standing committees.

Above all, the government would be made to explain its position on the enforcement of the Shariat Act that was adopted by the provincial assembly unanimously after being tabled by the treasury benches in June 2003.

"The government has been saying a lot on the issue of enforcing Shariat, we want the people of the NWFP to be told what practical measures has the MMA undertaken after assuming power in the NWFP," Anwar Kamal Khan, parliamentary leader of the PML-N, told Dawn.

He said the joint opposition facilitated the treasury benches in getting enacted their sponsored Shariat bill but over a year had passed and the government had not been able to enforce Shariat in accordance with the unanimously adopted act of the provincial legislature.

Similar views were expressed by the leader of the opposition in the NWFP assembly Shahzada Gustasip and Sikandar Sherpao, MPA of PPP (previously known as PPP(S), when reached separately by this reporter on Friday.

In reply to the question, they said that apart from helping the people to know the status of implementation on the Shariat act, the joint opposition wanted to know explicitly that what practical measures the provincial government had undertaken to judiciously distribute development funds among the treasury and opposition benches.

They accused the government of making 'block' allocations for carrying out development activities in the constituencies from where members of the ruling alliance had returned to the provincial assembly.

"The government, in budget session of the PA, had promised that a criteria would be underlined to make sure that development funds are distributed among ruling and opposition members on equal basis, but no practical measures have so far been taken," Sikandar Sherpao said.

Shahzada Gustasip said that the government had not been able to fulfil the promises it had made with the joint opposition during the last budget session. "We have requisitioned the PA's session to fulfil our assigned constitutional role," said Mr Gustasip, a claim contested by a couple of MPAs belonging to a component party of the joint opposition in the provincial assembly.

Requesting anonymity these MPAs said that requestioning the PA session was meant to put pressure on the MMA. They said that leaders of a couple of parliamentary groups were used to exert pressure on the ruling alliance by making hue and cry on the flour of the house to get their works done.

"Debate on important issues in the provincial legislature has hardly ever led benefit general public, rather, it has always served the interest of vested interest," said an MPA.