0
PESHAWAR, Dec 18: The NWFP Assembly on Thursday sought lifting of ban on the import of medicines from China, India and Iran.
The demand came through a resolution which was adopted with majority at the session presided over by Speaker Bakht Jahan Khan.
Tabling the resolution, MMA’s Abdul Majid Khan said the removal of ban would help the poor who could not buy expensive medicines made in Pakistan.
Health Minister Inayatullah Khan, opposing the resolution, said the lifting of ban might destroy the local industry. “I want to make an amendment to the resolution. The government itself should import certain medicines,” he proposed.
Pir Mohammad Khan of the MMA rose to call for the adoption of the resolution without any amendment. He was of the view that the opposition to resolution would help the multinational companies.
PML-Q’s Qazi Mohammad Asad opposed the resolution.
The house unanimously adopted 10 other resolutions about the electrification of remote villages of Dir Kohistan, unified telephone call rates for Mansehra, Haripur and Shergarh to be fixed by the New Darband Township telephone exchange, grant of 30 minutes for the broadcast of Pushto translation of the holy Quran, permanent tour of the National Industrial Relations Commission to the NWFP, inclusion of the late Maulana Abul Aala Modoodi’s books in school courses, installation of the TV booster at New Darband, ban on animal fighting, filling of all vacant posts of headmasters and teachers, induction of female (Qaria and Huffaz) teachers into primary schools and establishment of the Frontier Constabulary platoon for the Buner people.
The resolutions were tabled by Fareed Khan, Khalid Waqar Khan Chamkani, Zargul Khan, Maulana Amanullah Haqqani, Israrullah Khan Gandapur, Pir Mohammad Khan, Habibur Rehman, Naeema Akhtar and Jamshed Khan, respectively.
QUESTION HOUR: During the question hour, the house was told that 740 industrial units out of the total 1,961 were lying inoperative in the province.
Mohammad Arshad Khan and Syed Mureed Kazim of the PPP (Sherpao) rejected the government’s claim about the provision of sugarcane to the mills.
PML-Q’s Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani proposed that a house committee should be set up for the rehabilitation of sick units. The government should offer incentives to the industrialists who had suffered in the past because of the “wrong” policies, he demanded.
The house referred to the house committees a joint adjournment motion against the entry test conducted by the Education Evaluating and Testing Authority for admission to professional colleges. The members alleged that Eeta had been involved in malpractice and that it had deprived the deserving and talented students of their right to getting admission to medical and engineering colleges. On the “pretext” of the entry test, they said ‘undeserved’ and ‘pampered’ students had been given admission.
