PESHAWAR: The government is likely to convene the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session on April 11 that was deferred thrice since the surfacing of the allegation of corrupt practices and misuse of office against Speaker Asad Qaisar recently.

Officials in the assembly secretariat said the government was to summon the session on March 24, which was deferred for March 28.

They said the date (March 28) was revised and planned to call the session on April 4. The government again changed the date and planned to call the session on April 11.

An official told Dawn on Tuesday that the session was expected to be convened on April 11. “We don’t know the exact reason, but most probably the session was deferred time and again due to the controversy emerging against the speaker,” he said.

The National Accountability Bureau’s executive board headed by its chairman has ordered ‘complaint verification’ against the speaker.

The board authorised the NAB KP to look into the allegations against the speaker.

“If prima facie, some substance is found in the complaint, then a proper inquiry will be ordered,” said one source in the bureau.

Mr Qaisar told Dawn that the session had been deferred at the request of opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman and Pakistan People’s Party parliamentary leader Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha.

“The session has been delayed at the request of the opposition. There is no other reason,” said Mr Qaisar.

Meanwhile, MPA Ziaullah Afridi has requested Deputy Speaker of the assembly Dr Maher Taj Roghani to place his case before the legislative committee for consideration as Speaker Asad Qaisar faces the charge of the abuse of power and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is going to begin an inquiry against him (Mr Qaisar).

“Since Asad Qaisar himself is an accused, there is no alternative for me to request you (Roghani) to place my case before the legislative committee for consideration inter alia on the following points, as the present circumstances do not require the accused to act as the speaker,” Mr Afridi said in a letter sent to the deputy speaker.

Ziaullah Afridi, who served as the minister for mines and minerals and was expelled from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, had sent a complaint to the speaker against the provincial Ehtesab commissioners for consideration by the house’s legislative committee. The speaker performs as the chairman of the committee to hear complaints against the commissioners.

Earlier, Mr Afridi had submitted an adjournment motion demanding the suspension of Mr Qaisar over corruption allegations.

He said PTI chairman Imran Khan should ask Mr Qaisar to relinquish his duties as the speaker until the completion of investigations against him.

Mr Qaisar was in hot water after reports appeared in media on March 16 citing an anonymous letter that the NAB KP had requested its chairman, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, to start inquiry against the speaker over the alleged involvement in the corrupt practices and misuse of powers.

Mr Qaisar had denied these allegations saying that the negative campaign against him was aimed at maligning his persona as general elections moved closer.

The sources said Mr Qaisar held informal discussions and consultations with close aides about the allegations particularly about some appointments made to the assembly secretariat during his tenure.

“He (speaker) has stopped coming to his chamber since the issue surfaced,” said an official.

He said Mr Qaisar was looking for the ‘culprits’, who provided details to the NAB.

The speaker, however, said he would not comment on who was behind the campaign against him but all allegations against him were politically motivated.

“Some people are victimising me and resorted to my character assassination,” he said, adding that he would not comment on the letter of Mr Afridi.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2017