PESHAWAR, Nov 2: Questions of public importance raised on the floor of the NWFP Assembly mostly remain unanswered as ministers come to the house unprepared, it is learnt.

In most cases, departments concerned provide incorrect or incomplete answers to the questions.

Officials in the assembly secretariat told Dawn on Thursday that some time questions were even kept pending for more than a year as departments did not submit replies.

A large number of questions become irrelevant by the time the house takes them up again as the particular issues have long been resolved, causing embarrassment to ministers and lawmakers.

When ministers fail to provide complete or correct answers Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan asks the concerned members to bring fresh questions under rule 48 of the Procedure and Conduct of the Assembly, 1988.

During proceedings on Thursday, MPA Jamshid Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao) raised questions about the establishment of a farm services centre in Nawagai and provision of bulldozer for the area.

MPA Muzaffar Sayed of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal sought details about the provision of vehicles to the Agriculture Research System and purchase of vehicles for the Directorate Outreach. He said he had submitted questions to the assembly secretariat in early 2005 but details about the vehicles had not been provided yet.

Agriculture Minister Qari Mahmood failed to satisfy the members and the chair deferred the question.

Besides, there was disorder in the house with lawmakers, particularly ministers, exchanging pleasantries with each others during proceedings. The speaker repeatedly asked for order, but to no avail.

The speaker also pointed out that lawmakers brought guests to the visitors’ gallery without entry passes, which put the security staff in an awkward situation.

He directed lawmakers to cooperate with the security staff.