PESHAWAR, Nov 6: NWFP lawmakers on Monday asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to get the factual errors corrected made by its field staff during preparations of the new electoral lists in different parts of the province.
They were speaking on an adjournment motion tabled by Zubaida Khatoon of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal to draw the attention of the House towards the glaring mistakes in the preparation of the new voters’ lists.
She claimed that the ECP staff had also enrolled dead people as voters and registered scores of ghost voters who were living on open spaces in various city areas.
Last week she spoke on a call attention notice and informed the House that this irresponsible attitude of the ECP staff on an important national matter could pave the way for rigging the polls in certain areas.
At that time, the speaker asked the mover to convert her call-attention notice into an adjournment motion and table it in the House which she did.
She said the ECP had tried to obtain the voters’ record from the Nadra, but the latter had refused to lend its record.
She said if the ECP failed to remove the mistakes in the electoral lists, corrupt and non-political entities would benefit from it.
Speaking on the motion, Abdul Akbar Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians proposed both to the chair and the mover to convert it into a unanimous resolution and table it in the House as every MPA had reservations against the new voters’ lists.
Speaker Bakht Jehah Khan, who was presiding over the session, sought the opinion of the House and converted it into a resolution, which he asked the mover to present in the House on suitable time.
Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, Saeed Khan, Qalandar Khan Lodhi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Abdul Majid Khan, Asif Iqbal Daudzai and Yasin Khalid of the MMA and Sikandar Hayat Sherpao of the PPP (Sherpao) spoke in support of the matter.
Yasmin Khalid proposed to the commission to make enrolment of the earthquake-affected people in their existing places, because their old houses had been destroyed and now they were living in camps.
Speaking on a privilege motion, Abdul Akbar Khan informed the House about the unethical role of some non-elected elements, who had inaugurated various development schemes in his constituency. He said this immoral practice on the part of some local political leaders had hurt his privilege being an MPA of the area.
He said this was a disgusting practice, which should be stopped.
On his request, the chair agreed on constituting a committee, which would visit the constituency and submit a report on it.
Speaking on a call attention notice, Jamshed Khan of the PPP (Sherpao), drew the attention of the House towards the unfriendly role of tobacco companies and the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) towards the demands of tobacco growers.
He said this year farmers had to bear the losses of the lowest tobacco yield owing to a disease that hit the crop.
He asked tobacco companies and the PTB to provide financial assistance to the growers.
Food Minister Fazal Rabbani said the federal government which took billions of rupees in the form of central excise duty should pay the growers. The mover did not press his notice.
The speaker expressed his displeasure over the performance of the Planning and Development Department which had not provided answers on questions submitted by MPAs. He said the P&D was to table questions and answers today in the House, but it failed to comply with it.
Speaking about it, Abdul Akbar Khan said the P&D had undermined the provincial assembly, which they would not tolerate in the future.
Later, the treasury benches felt greatly embarrassed when the minister for excise and taxation, Fazle Rabbani, failed to satisfy opposition MPAs about an amendment proposed into the Provincial Motor Vehicles (NWFP) (Amendment) Bill, 2006.
The said ordinance was introduced in the House on October 27, 2006. Abdul Akbar said if it (the ordinance) had lapsed, an amendment could not be made to it and if it had not, then the government should simply lay it in the House.
