PESHAWAR, Sept 25: The NWFP Assembly on Thursday voiced concern on the reported sexual abuse of school students in the city and demanded stern action against the culprits.

Nighat Yasmeen Orakzai of the PML-Q deplored the attitude of the male members of the assembly towards the exploitation of students at a government high school. She maintained that the regrettable issue should have been taken up by the male MPAs because it didn’t suit women to initiate a debate on it.

Farha Aqil Shah of the ANP said most of the parents had raised the issue with the education officials repeatedly, but nothing was done to punish the culprits. She said the shameful business had damaged the lives of students.

Education Minister Fazle Ali said that he had visited the boys school and discussed the sinful act with teachers and students. He informed the house that three inquiry committees, comprising parents, teachers’ association, department officials and intelligence agencies, were investigating the affair.

He said the investigators had been directed to interrogate all those owners of shops and hotels around the school who were involved in the abuse of boys. The culprits would be given exemplary punishment, he promised.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Malik Zafar Azam said the government had taken a tough stand on the issue and promised stern action against the sinners.

The women lawmakers demanded exemplary punishment for the culprits.

Speaking on a call-attention notice, Yasmeen Khan of the MMA criticized the “non-cooperative” role of banks and other financial institutions in the province. She pointed out that the National Bank of Pakistan had introduced a housing scheme in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. But, she regretted, the bank had ignored Balochistan and the NWFP. She said a national bank cannot be expected to exclude backward areas from its welfare-oriented schemes.

Opposition leader Shahzada Mohammad Gastasip Khan asked Ms Khan to bring a resolution on the issue. He urged the government to take up the matter with the federal government for its immediate solution.

Endorsing the stand of Ms Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bilour of the ANP and Nighat Orakzai asked the government to take up also the issue of NWFP’s quota in the services of federal government-controlled financial institutions and other departments.

Senior Minister Sirajul Haq, who also holds the portfolio of finance, assured the house that he would take up the matter with Islamabad.

Abdul Akbar Khan of the PPP, who had initiated a debate on the NWFP Finance (Third Amendment) Ordinance IX promulgated on Aug 20, 2003, withdrew his resolution, seeking disapproval of the ordinance.

Nasreen Khattak and Anwar Kamal Khan took up the matter of Gomal Medical College and Saidu Medical College, which had not been recognized by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.

During the question hour, Local Government and Rural Development Minister Sardar Mohammad Idrees told the house that funds would be spent in consultation with MPAs.

He said the government would investigate the matter relating to the purchase of transformers by the Nazim of Dera Ismail Khan. The government, he added, would take action against those who had not installed transformers in the identified areas.