PESHAWAR: Lack of quorum and sloganeering has become a ‘hallmark’ of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly as Friday’s sitting was again adjourned due to low attendance.

The enthusiasm and interest of MPAs, especially treasury members, in the parliamentary activities could be judged from the fact that in the 124-member house, only 17 MPAs were present.

While the treasury benches and official galleries wore a deserted look, an important bill for replacing a 2009 law related to formation of women commission was passed.

The agenda, which was deferred on late Tuesday due to lack of quorum, was rescheduled for Monday.

A total of 11 items were included in the agenda but one item - the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women Bill, 2016 - was disposed of.

MPAs of the PML-N and PTI, political rivals, taunted each other for bad governance and shouted slogans ‘go Imran go’ and ‘go Nawaz go’.

Deputy Speaker Dr Meher Taj Roghani was presiding over the sitting.

JUI-F member Mufti Said Janan tore the agenda document into pieces to protest incomplete quorum, which, he said, has become a regular phenomenon.


House disposes of only one of the 11 items on agenda


“This is a matter of shame for the government, which can’t maintain quorum,” he shouted when MPA Mehmood Jan of PTI pointed out lack of quorum soon after the government’s bill was passed.

The cleric-turned-politician asked what the people would expect of a government, which couldn’t ensure presence of its members and ministers in the house.

He said the daily expenditure of the assembly totaled around Rs6 million.

Mr. Janan said the government was intentionally kept the quorum incomplete.

He said it was the government’s responsibility to maintain the quorum.

Deputy Speaker Dr Meher Taj Roghani while bulldozing parliamentary traditions and rules of businesses ignored the quorum and ordered the continuation of the sitting.

Looking ignorant about the rules of business, she expressed disapproval when the MPA pointed out lack of quorum.

“Who identified the quorum? Who did it,” she murmured while holding her head.

She expressed displeasure at the move.

The chair said the sitting would continue asking minister for elementary and secondary education Mohammad Atif to take the floor and pacify the opposition.

The assembly secretary informed the chair that she could not continue with the agenda once lack of quorum was pointed out.

Dr Roghani ordered the ringing of the bells for two minutes for members to attend the house to meet the quorum.

However, the chairs remained empty thereafter forcing the deputy speaker to adjourn the sitting for 15 more minutes.

When the sitting began again, the chair ordered the start of proceedings without checking the number of MPAs present in the house.

Lack of quorum was pointed out again but she ignored it asking opposition MPA Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha to speak about his question.

Mines and minerals minister Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli told the chair that the proceedings could no longer take place without a headcount.

The minister asked Dr Roghani to order a fresh headcount.

At that time, the assembly staff members weren’t present in the house. Dr Roghani asked a member of the treasury benches to do the job.

However, the number of lawmakers further shrank forcing the deputy speaker to adjourn the sitting.

The opposition benches shouted slogans against the government.

Sardar Nalotha of the PML-N while criticising the government said the people of the province were cursing the so-called ‘tabdeeli (change)’ of the ruling PTI.

He said the inefficient government had no right to govern the province.

The PML-N leader said the PTI was more interested in arranging sit-ins in Islamabad than addressing the problems of the people of the province.

Following the passage of the KP Commission on the Status of Women Bill, 2016, senior minister Sikandar Khan Sherpao said the government would try to make relevant rules under the new law within three months.

He claimed the law was meant to give financial autonomy to the women’s commission and further streamline its affairs.

Published in Dawn October 22nd, 2016

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