PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Thursday tabled an ordinance in the provincial assembly to increase annual funds for the renovation of the speaker and deputy speaker’s official residences 10 times from Rs100,000 to Rs1 million.

Law and parliamentary affairs minister Imtiaz Shahid Advocate tabled the ‘The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Salaries, Allowances, and Privileges) (Amendment) Ordinance 2014.’

Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan had promulgated the ordinance in August this year.

The ordinance proposed the substitution of the word ‘one hundred thousand’ with that of ‘ten thousands’ in Sub-Section 2 of the law’s Section 7.

According to the sub-section, ‘the official residence of the speaker along with the grounds appurtenant thereto shall, subject to such conditions as may be imposed by government from time to time, be maintained by the government and shall be furnished at a cost not exceed one hundred thousand rupees.’

PTI govt has already increased MPAs’ salary, travel allowances

It said the term ‘furniture’ would include carpets and curtains and not the cost of two air conditioners and one refrigerator to which the speaker was otherwise entitled.

The PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami-led coalition government has already increased salary of the MPAs from Rs36,000 to Rs93,000 a month, while their travel allowances have also been increased from Rs40,000 to Rs120,000 per annum.

Speaker Asad Qaisar presided over the assembly’s session convened by the government after four months.

Independent MPA Ehtesham Javed, who was elected from Tank, took oath.

He retained the seat of his father, Javed Akbar, who was disqualified in the fake degree case.

The speaker adjourned the proceeding until 2pm on Friday to express solidarity with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who survived a bomb attack in Quetta in the day.

The government tabled the Zakat and Ushr (Amendment) Ordinance 2014, Senior Citizens Ordinance 2014, Environmental Protection Bill 2014, Injured Persons and Emergency (Medical Aid Bill 2014, Hindu Disposition of Property Bill 2014 and Protection of Communal Properties Bill 2014.

Under the 18th amendment to the Constitution, which devolved environment and ecology to the provinces, the provincial government tabled the bill.

The bill carries new definitions like climate change, electronic waste, strategic environmental assessment, genetically modified organism and bio-safety.

Section 3 of the bill suggests establishment of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Council.

Under the bill, the province will have its own environmental protection agency and environmental improvement fund will be established. It also proposes establishment of environmental protection tribunal.

Earlier, opposition member Sultan Mohammad Khan said on a point of order that the house was incomplete because the office of the deputy speaker had been lying vacant since Imtiaz Shahid became law and parliamentary affairs minister.

He sought the speaker’s ruling on the matter and demanded schedule for the election of the deputy speaker.

In a brief ruling, Speaker Asad Qaisar said Article 53 (3) of the Constitution was very clear on the matter and that the chair had announced a panel of chairmen.

Insiders said five opposition parties had decided to field Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha of Pakistan People’s Party as a candidate for the office of the deputy speaker.

The ruling coalition has unofficially nominated Mohammad Arif for the office.

The opposition members expressed concern over the kidnapping of three students in Bannu and social worker in Swabi and demanded early, safe recovery of abductees.

PTI MPA from Peshawar Yaseen Khalil drew the house’s attention towards the killing of a student at the Agriculture University, Peshawar and asked the government to carry out search operation in the university’s hostels.

He said activists of various student unions had stocked weapons in hostels and therefore, the government should crack down on them to free educational institutions from criminals.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2014