PESHAWAR, Jan 19: The NWFP Assembly on Monday increased the house rent of provincial ministers from Rs16,000 to 40,000, causing uproar in the house for ignoring the other members of the assembly.

The increase was made through the NWFP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Second Amendment) Bill, 2009, passed by the house.

The NWFP Civil Courts (Amendment) Ordinance, 2008, was also introduced in the assembly. On behalf of the provincial chief minister, the two bills were tabled by Minister for Law Barrister Arshad Abdullah.

To increase the house rent of the ministers, amendments had been introduced to the NWFP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975 (NWFP Act No. IV of 1975). Section 8 in sub-section (3) and (4) of the Act had been specifically amended to substitute the worlds “sixteen thousand” with the words “forty thousand”.

Before the tabling of the bill by the provincial minister for law, Pakistan People’s Party MPA Abdul Akbar Khan drew the attention of the chair towards amendments submitted in the assembly secretariat by him and stressed that the matter should be referred to the house’s select committee.

The PPP leader did not oppose the bill but suggested that the amendments he had recommended should be incorporated in the bill before its passage. He also called for passing another bill, which was in pipeline, enhancing the privileges of the rest of the members of the assembly

However, Speaker Kiramatullah Chagharmati, who presided over the proceedings, put the bill increasing the house rent of ministers only, for voting to decide whether it should be passed or referred to the select committee.

When the speaker sought the consent of the house, he ruled that the bill was referred to the select committee. This prompted the members, particularly those on the opposition benches, cheerfully thumping the desks.

But their joy was short lived as Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour and provincial Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain, who were unhappy over the referring of the bill to the committee, asked the speaker to vote on the matter by standing up of the members against and in favour. The speaker conceded and 45 members voted against referring the bill to the house’s select committee and 35 members voted for it.

The second bill tabled in the assembly was The NWFP Civil Courts (Amendment) Ordinance, 2008. Through the bill, amendments have been introduced to section 18 of W.P. Ord. No. II of 1962. The amended bill suggests that “(1A) Subject to the provisions of section 102 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, no second appeal shall lie in any other suit when the amount or value of the subject-matter of the original suit does not exceed five hundred thousand rupees”.—PPI