PESHAWAR: The opposition parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have alleged that uneven distribution of Annual Development Programme funds by the government is amounting to contempt of court.

Addressing a joint press conference here on Thursday, MPAs of Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl asked Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to review his policies and implement verdict of Peshawar High Court regarding the distribution of the development funds.

“The government is committing contempt of court by not accepting verdict of the PHC,” said ANP Parliamentary Leader Sardar Hussain Babak. He said that the government should not push opposition to the wall and implement the court’s decision.

He said that over seven million voters had given mandate to opposition parties in previous general elections in the province.

Lawmakers claim govt has allocated Rs950m to a ruling party member

He alleged that the government had allocated Rs950 million to a member of the ruling party. He asked law and parliamentary affairs minister to justify allocation of huge funds to a single constituency.

“Don’t push opposition to the wall otherwise its repercussions will be very, very dangerous,” warned Mr Babak.

MPAs Advocate Khushdil Khan, Sher Azam Wazir, Sardar Mohammad Yousaf, Shagufta Malik and Nighat Yasmin Orakzai were present at the press conference.

Mr Babak said that the “illegitimate government” was taking unlawful and unconstitutional decisions and blatantly ignored verdict of PHC. He said that policies of the government forced opposition to block the road in front of the Chief Minister’s House on Wednesday.

“Opposition will do it again if its grievances are not addressed,” warned Mr Babak. He said that the government bulldozed legislation in the assembly. He said that important bills were passed from the assembly on Wednesday without discussion. He alleged that the ruling party was “abusing” its majority in the assembly.

He said that posting and transfer policy was not followed. He said that Chief Minster Mahmood Khan did not have courage to take up the net hydel profit issue with prime minister. He said that the government failed to announce 8th National Finance Commission Award.

The ANP lawmaker said that Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani had become a rubber stamp and lost his impartial role in the assembly.

He said that joint opposition would continue its protest until the government corrected its policies.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2019