PESHAWAR, July 10: The Awami National Party (ANP) has accused the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal of paving the ground for religious dictatorship in the province by endorsing the proposed Hasba law.

Commenting on the latest version of the Hasba Bill released by the MMA leaders here on Sunday, ANP central vice-president Haji Mohammad Adeel said that the Hasba law was nothing but ‘martial law by the clerics’ to suppress the enlightened forces in the name of religion.

He said that the MMA was promoting a culture of mediocrity instead of promoting meaningful education in the province.

Mr Adeel said that the MMA was trying to re-enact ‘The Inquisition’ on the pattern of the Roman Catholic clergy with the idea of punishing its opponents.

According to him, the MMA had widened the authority of the Mohtasib up to the provincial secretariat and its employees which, he said, was opposed to the constitution and the independence of the elected assembly.

He said the provincial assembly was an independent constitutional institution, which should fall under the jurisdiction of the NWFP government.

Mr Adeel said the chief minister was at the mercy of the provincial assembly which had elected him. “The chief ministers always look towards the assembly for political support. The government and its all administrative wings are subservient to the assembly.

“It is an elected institution which passes funds for the government. The provincial assembly and its staff cannot be answerable to a nominee of the chief minister, i.e. the Mohtasib”, he added.

According to the Articles 87 and 127 of the 1973 Constitution, the assembly is an independent institution which is not subservient to any other controlling authority, Mr Adeel said.

He said the finance committee of the assembly, headed by the speaker, monitored the assembly affairs. According to the law, he said, employees of the assembly were not public servants but civil servants. “Why is the MMA trying to undermine the status of the elected assembly?” he asked.

On the one hand, he said, the MMA leaders in the National Assembly speak about the supremacy of the parliament, and on the other hand they try to rob the provincial assembly of its independence in the name of the Hasba law.