PESHAWAR, Nov 14: The NWFP Assembly, which was required to complete at least 70 working days during its first parliamentary year under the Constitution, managed to work for a period of 99 days in the first 12 months.

During all these sittings the house ran its business smoothly and never faced the problem of completing the quorum. The opposition lent its complete support on all important issues like the enforcement of the Shariat. The lawmakers from either side staged a joint walkout against the non-payment of the net hydel profit to the province as per the AGN Kazi formula.

The assembly approved as many as 13 bills to regulate the working and functioning of various social sectors which included the Shariat Bill, the Hydel Development Bill and the Non-Movable Urban Property Bill. Most of these bills have not been put into practice as yet.

Speaking to Dawn, Speaker Bakht Jahan Khan said: “The credit for the smooth running of the business goes to opposition parties. They demonstrated a rare unity on certain occasions. The house also entertained a request by the opposition and disapproved a finance (amendment) bill.”

He was of the view that the overall performance of the NWFP Assembly was better than the other provincial assemblies.

It was feared that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s lawmakers, who were novice in parliamentary affairs, would fail to deliver but they proved otherwise, he observed.

The speaker also appreciated the role of opposition parties in the controversial Legal Framework Order, the main obstacle to real democracy.

Regarding different standing committees he said: “We are the first among the assemblies who formed the standing committees.”

The public accounts committee, he added, unearthed the bungling of over Rs70 million in various departments during the committee’s first meeting at Abbottabad.

On the other hand, a disgruntled MPA from the MMA was unhappy over the performance of the assembly.

He said the house kept mum on the non-implementation of the motions and resolutions adopted by it in the last 12 months.

“The bureaucracy does not take us seriously. The government too is powerless in this regard,” he added.

On May 8, the house stunned the official Pakistan Muslim League and Islamabad when it adopted a resolution with a majority vote for the early return of Benazir Bhutto, chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party, and unconditional release of her spouse, Asif Ali Zardari, who is in detention for the last seven years.

The house also adopted the report of special committees on health and advised the government to abolish the institution-based practice introduced by the previous military government.