PESHAWAR, Dec 7: Provincial lawmakers of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal have criticised a statement made by President Gen Pervez Musharraf in which he characterised the NWFP government as “an agglomeration of the religious illiterate”.

Education Minister Maulana Fazle Ali Haqqani, at a point of order in the provincial assembly on Thursday, said the president had “dishonoured” the mandate of the masses. Gen Musharraf was quoted in the press as saying that “the religious illiterate” were ruling the NWFP.

Mr Haqqani said foreign donors, including the World Bank, had appreciated the measures taken by the MMA government in the province. Gen Musharraf had tried to paint a gloomy picture of the NWFP government by making controversial statements.

He alleged that Punjab had a corrupt government but the president had never said anything against it.

Opposition leader Shehzada Gustasip, through another point of order, called upon the government to brief the assembly members on the reconstruction and rehabilitation process in the earthquake-hit areas of the province.

He said that during the assembly’s special session on the Oct 8 earthquake, provincial Minister for Rural Development and Local Government Sardar Idrees had failed to respond to certain reservations.

Speaker Bakht Jehan referred the matter to the assembly’s earthquake committee so that progress made on the assembly’s resolutions could be studied.

During the question-answer session, the issue of misappropriation in the Dargai-Kalam road project, raised by Khalil Abbas, was referred to the relevant committee.