PESHAWAR: Condemning the brutal killing of 10 people in Balochistan’s Mach coalfield, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Monday called upon the federal government to take concrete steps to stop the fresh wave of terrorism in the country.

The resolution unanimously passed by the house also flayed the killing of a youngster by the police in Islamabad and expressed solidarity with the families of the victims of both incidents.

Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani chaired the sitting, which was held after a break of one month.

Pakistan Peoples Party MPAs Nighat Orakzai and Ahmad Karim Kundi jointly tabled the resolution, which said the current wave of terrorism, especially the killing of people of Hazara community in Mach area, had sparked restlessness across the country and therefore, the government should take serious steps for eradicating terrorism and bring killers to justice.

Earlier, minister for law and parliamentary affairs Sultan Mohammad Khan said credible intelligence reports confirmed the involvement of foreign hands in Mach incident.

Members also call for ban on two-finger test of rape victims

He said enemies were conspiring against the country to divide its people along sectarian and linguistic lines.

The lawmakers through another resolution moved by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MPA Inayatullah Khan demanded of the federal government to restore 3G and 4G Internet service in the far-flung areas of the province, especially hard areas of Upper Dir district.

The mover said the universities and other educational institutions had begun online classes after the outbreak of coronavirus.

He said thousands of students belonging to tail-end districts of the province couldn’t attend online classes due to the unavailability of Internet and 3G and 4G mobile Internet facilities.

Mr Inayatullah pointed out that the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited didn’t provide services to some remote areas of KP, while mobile phone companies didn’t provide 3G and 4G service there.

He said thousands of expatriate Pakistanis living in Gulf countries couldn’t communicate with their families due to the non-existence of mobile phone service.

“The federal government should ask mobile phone companies to restore 3G and 4G service in remote areas of the province,” read the resolution.

The assembly through another resolution demanded of the provincial government to immediately ban the ‘two-finger’ test of rape victims during their medical examination.

According to the resolution, the government should adopt internationally certified and latest procedures in this regard.

It said the two-finger test had already been declared against the Constitution and human values.

MPA Ahmad Kundi of the PPP also resented the recent attack on the shrine of a Hindu saint in Karak district of the province and termed it the government’s failure.

He said Islam didn’t permit attacks on and destruction of warship places of religious minorities and such attacks were against the teachings of Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

During question hour, special assistant to the chief minister on higher education Kamran Khan Bangash informed the house that the department concerned had planned to overcome the shortage of lecturers and professors in colleges.

He said 1,900 lecturers were being appointed across the province and the finance department had also sanctioned posts.

He assured lawmakers that the seats reserved for students of merged tribal districts in universities and medical colleges of Punjab would be restored.

He said the KP government had contacted Punjab government for the purpose.

Speaking on a point of order, MPA Mir Kalam Khan expressed concern about the arrest of the activists of Pakhtun Tahafuz Movement and insisted that the people raising voice for the rights of the residents of the former Fata were being arrested.

He said MNA Ali Wazir and other PTM activists had been held after they attended a ceremony marking the APS carnage anniversary. Later, Dr Said Alam Mehsud was also taken into custody, he added.

The government introduced the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amendment of Certain Fiscal Laws Bill, 2021, in the house.

Earlier, Speaker Mushtaq Ghani issued a ruling turning down a point of order of ANP MPA Khushdil Khan advocate, who objected that the chair didn’t have powers to adjourn the sitting for an indefinite period.

The lawmaker had pointed that the speaker had adjourned the current sitting for one month, which was unconstitutional and in violation of the assembly’s rules of business.

He pointed out that the governor had summoned the session and therefore, the speaker didn’t have powers to adjourn the sitting indefinitely.

Speaker Mushtaq Ghani ruled that he was following the rules and Constitution in matters related to the assembly’s business.

He said the mover’s point of order was irrelevant. The law minister also endorsed the speaker’s ruling.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2021