Minister faces censure motion tabled by treasury MPA
By Mohammed Riaz
PESHAWAR, Sept 8: The NWFP Assembly on Wednesday admitted an adjournment motion presented by an MPA of the treasury benches demanding an investigation into alleged massive irregularities in new appointments in the education department.
When the session, presided over by Deputy Speaker Ikramullah Shahid started, it had to be suspended for two and a half hours owing to lack of quorum. The adjournment motion was moved by Mufti Ahmed Hussain of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal from Swat, in which the mover accused the education minister of making "unjust appointments" in his area.
He demanded that the chair refer the motion to the standing committee concerned for prompt action. Endorsing the motion, MMA's Amir Zadah Khan alleged that the education minister had appointed people who possessed bogus certificates.
"The minister himself is aware of irregularities in the department in his district," Amir Zadah added. Opposition leader Shahzada Gustasap said that every district was plagued with such gross malpractice, but the government was not ready to rectify them.
He urged the government to redress the grievances of its own lawmakers, who had brought the matter of their government's wrong doings in the press. Mohammad Amin, another MMA MPA, alleged that his adjournment motion had been converted into a call-attention notice which was unfair. On chair's assurance, he did not press the matter.
Abdul Akbar Khan of the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) presented a motion, seeking admittance of the adjournment motion tabled by Mufti Ahmed Hussain for discussion.
Education Minister Maulana Fazle Ali persuaded the mover not to press his motion and instead sort it out in his chamber. But, after a vote, the chair admitted it, despite opposition by the treasury benches.
On his call-attention notice, Abdul Majid Khan of the MMA made a fiery speech against the accumulation of funds and development schemes in the constituency of education minister.
The minister, he said, got spent Rs7 million only on a veterinary hospital in his area. Earlier, when the speaker started proceedings in the morning, MMA's Amanat Shah drew his attention towards lack of quorum.
Opposition MPAs, who had requisitioned the session, accused the treasury benches of sabotaging the session. Abdul Akbar Khan of the PPP, Mushtaq Ghani of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q and Mureed Kazim of the PPP said it was the duty of the treasury benches to ensure presence of its MPAs in the hall.
They said the minister for law and parliamentary affairs had decided the agenda with the opposition in the speaker's chamber, but now the government was trying to sabotage the session convened to discuss allocation of funds in districts.
Shahzada Gustasap said most of the MPAs had gone to attend the funeral of grandfather of Amir Rehman, an Awami National Party MPA from Swabi. All those MPAs would join soon, he said, and suggested to the chair to continue with the agenda.
On the suggestion of Abdul Akbar Khan, the chair suspended the proceedings till noon. Later, the MMA lawmakers headed by chief minister attended the session. Bashir Ahmed Bilour of the ANP drew the attention of the chair towards an attack on an Urdu-language newspaper in Swat. He said it was against the freedom of the press and government should take action against it.
