January 31, 2006	Tuesday	Muharram 1, 1427

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PESHAWAR, Jan 30: The NWFP Assembly has admitted an adjournment motion, calling for a detailed discussion on the National Finance Commission Award announced by Gen Pervez Musharraf contrary to the demands of the provinces.

The motion was moved by Abdul Akbar Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party (Parliamentarians), who rejected the new size of subvention to be distributed among the provinces of the NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan.

He termed the award unjust, unconstitutional and a one-man-made award.

He said according to Article 160 (6) of the Constitution, the president could amend the award before its announcement but he could not make any changes to it once it was made public.

He asked whether the NWFP finance minister was taken into confidence before the announcement of the award.

Mr Akbar said it had been a demand by the provinces that 50 per cent of the total award should be earmarked for the provinces, but the president had lowered it in the new award.

He asked whether eight out of the nine members of the commission had not agreed to give 50 per cent of the divisible pool to the provinces.

He said the president had rejected the decision of majority by decreasing the share of the provinces.

Mr Akbar said his party had rejected the award already because the PPP government during its tenure had given 60 per cent of the NFC award to the provinces. But, later it was changed by a caretaker government in 1997.

Over a dozen lawmakers rose from their seats and supported the motion, but two Pakistan Muslim League-Q MPAs, Nighat Yasmin Orakzai and Wajiehuzzaman Khan, opposed its admissibility.

The house also adopted a number of resolutions with a majority and refereed one of them regarding scrapping of entry tests for admission to professional colleges.

Earlier, a joint resolution was moved by Mohammad Farid Khan of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and Nighat Orakzai of the PML-Q, demanding abolishing of entry tests for engineering and medical colleges.

The house unanimously passed a resolution, paying homage to veteran politician Khan Abdul Wali Khan and acknowledging his services for the rights of the province.

The resolution moved by Abdul Akbar expressed sorrow over the demise of Mr Wali terming it a national loss.

The legislators also praised Mr Wali’s political struggle for the restoration of democracy, basic rights of the people and provincial autonomy in Pakistan.

They argued influential students had been getting undue favour through entry tests while intelligent and poor students despite getting good marks in the examinations could not succeed in getting admission in professional colleges and universities in the province.

Opposing the resolution, Health Minister Inayatullah Khan and Education Minister Maulana Fazle Ali opposed the resolution saying that entry tests were important for admissions to professional institutions.

The health minister said that the performance of medical colleges had improved after introduction of entry tests.

The education minister said that without entry tests, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council would not endorse admissions of students, so it was a requirement which every student was bound to fulfil.