September 05, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 04, 1429

PESHAWAR, Sept 4: Frontier lawmakers, through a unanimously-adopted resolution, condemned the intrusion and killing of 20 people in Angor Adda, South Waziristan, by US-led forces and termed it an attack on the sovereignty and solidarity of the country.

The resolution was jointly moved by Sikandar Hayat Sherpao of the Pakistan People’s Party-S, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain of the Awami National Party, Pir Sabir Shah of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Nighat Orakzai of the PML-Q and Mufti Kifaytullah of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. The movers called upon the federal government to take up the gory incident at all forums, so that occurrence of such acts could be avoided in future.

They said US fighter planes had violated Pakistan’s airspace many times in the past and members of the provincial assembly had always condemned such incidents, but the US forces continued with their aggressive activities. They said US helicopters, having marines on board, had landed in Angor Adda on Wednesday, conducted a thorough, house-to-house search and shot dead 20 innocent people.They called upon the federal government to take a firm stand on the issue.

Through another unanimously-adopted joint resolution, the lawmakers condemned an armed attack on a motorcade of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad on Wednesday, terming it the handiwork of terrorists.

Senior Minister Rahimdad Khan, Information Minister Iftikhar, Mufti Kifayatullah and Sikandar Sherpao tabled the resolution.

The house also adopted 16 other resolutions regarding installation of 100KV transformer at Radio Pakistan, Dera Ismail Khan, and shifting of the Broadcasting House inside the city; provision of natural gas facility to Malakand villages and Mardan areas, early construction of the Chashma first right bank canal, allotment of separate rooms for infants of working women at all departments, completion of work on Tajazai and Dara Pezo grid stations in Lakki Marwat, grant of rural allowance to employees serving in villages, appointment of extra senior English teachers in upgraded schools, provision of natural gas facility to Sarai Naurang, shifting of private schools’ funds from secondary boards back to the education department, separation of the Sharingal campus of Malakand University and its upgradation as another university, early opening of the Thall-Parachinar road and restoration of law and order in the Kurram Agency, renaming of the Frontier House as the Pakhtunkhwa House, renaming the Frontier province as Pakhtunkhwa and inclusion of NWFP journalists in government-sponsored housing schemes.

The resolutions were moved by Israrullah Khan Gandapur, Noor Sehar, Iftikhar Khan, Sanaullah Khan Miankhel, Tabbasam Shams Katozai, Dr Khalid Raza Zakori, Yasmeen Zia, Saquibullah Khan Chamkani, Malik Badshah Saleh, Saeeda Batool, Mukhtiar Ali Khan, Abdul Akbar, Ghulam Mohammad and Mufti Kifayatullah.

The speaker deferred The Islamia College University, Peshawar, Bill, 2008, for 10 days to the select committee to reconsider it.

When Minister for Higher Education Qazi Mohammad Asad tried to get the bill passed, Abdul Akbar Khan of the PPP opposed it and said it would deprive the historic Islamia College of its identity, image and land property (commercial and agriculture) situated in Peshawar, Hari Chand and Charsadda. He said the Islamia College was richest institution, which owned property worth billions of rupees, being overseen by its Board of Trustees. “After the passage of this bill, the Board of Trustees will stand abolished,” he maintained.

Abdul Akbar said some hidden hands, who had eye on the college’s property, wanted to encroach upon it through a new mechanism. He said the University of Peshawar was the guardian of the college and its vice-chancellor was a member of the Board of Trustees, but he had not been consulted on the matter. He said all stakeholders should be consulted before the passage of the bill.

Speaker Karamatullah Khan Chagarmatti also deferred The North-West Frontier Province Civil Servants (Regularisation of Services) (Amendment) Bill, 2008, moved by Abdul Akbar, to the select committee.

After the passage of the bill, services of thousands of contractual employees would stand regularised.

The chair prorogued the session sine die.