PESHAWAR: PA criticises restriction on Azaan during Blair's visit
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, Nov 23: The provincial assembly adopted a unanimous resolution on Thursday condemning desecration of Islamic flags by an American multinational company and restrictions on Azaan for Asr prayers at the Faisal Mosque during British Prime Minister Tony Blair's visit to the mosque in Islamabad.
As the house resumed its proceedings, Amanat Ali Shah of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal speaking on a point of order drew the attention of the chair to the images of 42 flags stomped under a pair of feet, which is the logo of a company trading in clothes and shoes. "The images included flags of Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are inscribed with Kalma Tayyaba and the name of Allah, respectively," he added.
He asked the chair to suspend the proceedings and allow him to move a resolution against the American company, responsible for the sacrilegious act. He also demanded ban on the company, which had a shop in Islamabad.
Zubaida Khatoon of the MMA informed the house about the restriction on Aazan for Asr prayers at the Faisal Mosque during a visit to the place by Tony Blair. She asked the house to condemn the apologetic attitude of the military rulers who had brought a bad name to Islam and Pakistan.
She said her point of order should be made part of the resolution prepared by Amanat Ali Shah.
Speaker Bakhat Jehan Khan, who was presiding over the session, suspended the business and allowed Amanat Ali Shah to table the resolution along with amendments proposed by Zubaida Khatoon.
The house through other unanimous resolutions, tabled by Syed Qalb-i-Hassan, Fauzia Farrukh, Mian Nisar Gul, Maulana Israrul Haq, Dr Zakirullah Khan, Shah Mohammad Khan, Fareed Khan and Amirzada Khan, demanded setting up of transformer-repair workshops at the district level, early replacement of 50kv transformers with 100kv, provision of natural gas to Khandray, Baghicha Dheri, Gumbat, Zando Dheri in PF-25, Mardan; payment of Rs80 million by the federal government out of Rs160 million to the NWFP government for the above-mentioned station, allotment of a new building to the Vocational Training Centre, Kohat; appointment of local residents up to Grade 10 in hard areas across the province, and payment of 80 per cent out of forest royalty to the owners of forests in Swat, Kohistan and Dir Kohistan.
On a point of order, Pir Mohammad Khan raised a question about the prolonged detention of Maulana Sufi Mohammad, who has been detained in Dera Ismail Khan prison since 2001. He asked what crime Sufi Mohammad had committed and when he would be freed.
Responding to the query, Forest Minister Shah Raz Khan said Sufi Mohammad had been detained under the Frontier Crimes Regulations by the political authorities. The minister said he too endorsed the demand made by Pir Mohammad regarding Sufi Sahib's early release.
Speaking on his call-attention notice, Syed Zakir Shah of the MMA drew the attention of the house to the dilapidated roads in his constituency. He asked as to why were the roads in the provincial capital in such a poor condition. He said his constituency had been neglected by the department concerned.
Local government and rural development minister Sardar Idrees confessed that insufficient funds were allocated for Peshawar in the previous budget, which caused a problem for them in making new schemes for the city. Next year, he said, more funds would be allocated for development schemes in Peshawar.
On a call attention notice, Ikramullah Shahid informed the House that hundreds of people who had deposited their savings with the defunct Islamic Invest Bank had not been paid a single paisa out of their amounts. He asked the government to take up the issue with the State Bank of Pakistan and do the needful for the affected depositors.
Salma Baber of the PPP (Sherpao), Tahir Bin Yamin, Tariq Khan Khattak and Zubaida Khatoon also spoke on different issues.
Earlier, the House admitted an adjournment motion presented by Yasmin Khalid about the charges of irrigation water from farmers.
Later, the chair adjourned the proceedings till Friday.
