PESHAWAR, May 4: The provincial assembly has adopted a resolution urging parliament to set up a ‘national crisis centre’ to handle emergencies like natural disasters.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Malik Zafar Azam moved the resolution under Article 144, calling for a legislation as the country had no law to deal with situation like the earthquake that devastated parts of the NWFP and Azad Kashmir last year. He said the proposed law should determine powers and duties of the federal and provincial governments regarding such calamities.

The house adopted the resolution unanimously.

Earlier, Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan informed the house that he had received resignations of two MPAs – Malik Hayat Khan from Dir and Sports and Culture Minister Raja Faisal Zaman from Haripur. He said the resignations had been accepted under Rule 50(2) of the Rules of Business of the Provincial Assembly.

The house converted into an adjournment motion a calling attention notice moved by Muzaffar Said regarding unscheduled loadshedding and over-billing by Wapda. The house admitted the motion for discussion during the current session.

Speaking on the issue, Abdul Akbar Khan of the People’s Party Parliamentarians said the entire province was suffering because of the loadshedding but Wapda was not paying any heed to people’s complaints about it.

On a point of order, Javed Mohmand informed the chair about the ‘high-handedness’ of the khasadars in his constituency. He said the tribal policemen often stormed settled areas and arrested the people wanted for their involvement in criminal cases. He said the khasadars should seek permission from the area police if they wanted to arrest suspects in settled areas.

He asked the government to take notice of the practice otherwise the area residents would clash with the raiding khasadars.

Mr Mohmand also briefed the house about thrashing of a local TV cameraman, Waheedur Rehman Khalil, by a police official.

However, when the chair asked the law minister for a response to Mr Mohmand’s complaint, the minister failed to respond.

The journalists covering the proceedings then walked out of the house to protest against the police and the minister’s disregard to the issue.

Later, the law minister assured the house that the police official involved would be punished.

Opposition leader Shahzada Gustasip drew attention of the house towards irregularities in the relief work in quake-affected areas of Hazara region. He said relief efforts were meant for rehabilitation of the affected but some contractors had turned the whole process into a money making opportunity. He called for inclusion of people’s elected representatives in the process.

Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani and Qalandar Khan Lohdi asked the government to appoint area MPAs on the relief committees.

Later, the chair adjourned the sitting till Friday morning.