PESHAWAR: A single working day of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly costs the provincial government a cool Rs1 million, according to officials in the assembly secretariat.

If one is to calculate the amount for 100 constitutionally mandated working days, it reaches a staggering Rs100 million.

What adds to the financial cost is the unaccounted expense of that time wasted, as most of the ‘working days’ go without any work done. Much fire and anger is witnessed by the way of outbursts and commotion as elected representatives make snide remarks at rival legislators provoking heated exchanges that have nothing to do with difference of opinion over policy or how best to achieve the maximum welfare of the people through judicious use of resources.

Perhaps that is the only justification for a giant air-conditioning plant worth over Rs175 million being installed in the assembly building of a cash-strapped province, replacing the one provided 15 years ago.

Instead of legislation, treasury, opposition members fight over funds distribution

The new plant to be imported from Japan is being purchased from the money paid by taxpayers, who have seen little relief either by the way of policy impacting lives and livelihoods who voted them to power.

An official told Dawn that the total budget allocated to the assembly for the current financial year is Rs1.28 billion that includes Rs330 millions voted budget (salaries and TA /DAs paid to 143 MPAs). The assembly secretariat has currently more than 500 staff members, employed to help MPAs make laws and policies or debate on core issues.

The situation in the present KP Assembly was not optimistic to begin with, but the waste of resources on unproductive sessions has assumed alarming proportions in the ongoing session, which began on Feb 17. Both the treasury and opposition have turned the assembly into a circus by hurling insults, honking bugles and blowing whistles.

Lawmakers from both sides of the house are making personal accusations instead of holding constructive debate on legislation and other important items on the agenda. The government introduced and passed 10 bills during the current session without debate. The rest of the items moved by the opposition on agenda have been declared ‘lapsed’.

The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf enjoys an overwhelming majority in the 145-strong house with 95 members. It has bulldozed every move of the opposition through its brute majority frustrating rivals in the assembly.

In the parliamentary system of democracy, the assembly’s prime duty is to make legislation, but the treasury and opposition members in KP have deviated from their obligations. They have been fighting in both the assembly and high court over the distribution of annual development programme worth Rs319 billion.

MPAs from the government and opposition sides acknowledge that the bone of contention is the distribution of funds for development schemes.

They have agreed on a formula under which the opposition MPAs will get 35 per cent of the ADP for development schemes in their respective constituencies.

The situation might get worse if three stalwarts in the assembly, including speaker, leader of the house and leader of opposition, show political maturity and sagacity, believe officials.

The Speaker is called the custodian or guardian of the dignity and privilege of the house and he has to maintain neutrality.

However, Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, the most senior lawmaker, has lost impartiality, which is very unfortunate. On the other hand, Opposition Leader Akram Khan Durrani, who had served as the chief minister as well as federal minister, is also showing no regards for the chair. He passes blistering remarks against the speaker saying Mushtaq Ghani doesn’t deserve to be the speaker of the august house.

The opposition accuses him of creating hurdles to the summoning of the assembly session and mistreating its MPAs.

The Khan of Matta (Leader of the House) seems least bothered about turmoil in the assembly. He is continuously staying away from attending the proceedings. He holds ‘darbar’ at the Chief Minister’s House to meet lawmakers instead of attending the assembly session.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2020