PESHAWAR: Showing confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly through a majority passed resolution on Thursday resolved that he saved the country from major economic crises during Covid-19 pandemic through his vision.

The members of opposition parties opposed the resolution and chanted slogans. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) moved the resolution in the house. Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan chaired the sitting.

The resolution said that the pandemic, which engulfed the entire world badly, affected major economies. Attendance of the lawmakers was very thin in the provincial assembly.

Members of opposition benches chant slogans against govt

“PM Imran Khan through his vision and leadership not only pulled the country out of the economic crises, but further strengthened it,” said the resolution. Furthermore, it said, the prime minister also improved image of the country in the international community through his sagacious leadership.

A total of seven resolutions were put on the agenda. Some of the resolutions lapsed because of absence of the movers.

The assembly through another resolution asked the federal government to waive off duty on personal mobile phone sets of overseas Pakistanis. The resolution said that expatriate Pakistanis, who stayed more than 10 years abroad, should be allowed to bring one duty-free car.

Minister for Labour Shaukat Ali Yousafzai while responding to a resolution said that provincial government would upgrade hospitals in all divisional headquarters to reduce burden on major teaching hospitals in Peshawar.

The assembly converted a call attention notice into an adjournment to hold discussion on suicide bombing at a mosque in Peshawar on Friday last. The attack left at least 68 worshipers dead and around 200 wounded. Awami National Party MPA Advocate Khushdil Khan moved the call attention notice.

Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Nighat Yamin Orakzai on a point of order strongly condemned the bombing of mosque at Kocha Risaldar. She asked the government to inform as to how suicide bomber along with two facilitators reached the mosque and martyred scores of faithful and a police constable.

She regretted that any member of the cabinet did not bother to visit the family of the martyred police official. She said that the martyred police official left behind a newly-born baby girl. The lawmaker also appreciated the role of contract doctors and nurses, who immediately called off their strike and provided first aid to the wounded people. She said that majority of the doctors also donated blood on the occasion.

The MPA asked government to accept demands of the contract doctors and nurses and regularise them immediately.

The sitting was adjourned till 9am Friday.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2022