PESHAWAR, July 9: With the increase in the number of Frontier Assembly seats, the provincial government is caught in a dilemma where to convene the inaugural session of the expanded house after the October elections, sources said.

The assembly secretariat officials told Dawn on Tuesday that the government had planned to construct a hall within the existing assembly building having a seating capacity of 200. However, the construction of the new hall would take some time to complete. The existing assembly hall has only 83 seats while the new assembly will have 130 members.

An official said: “There is a strong possibility that the governor may convene the first session at the city district council hall.” The newly-renovated district council hall has seating capacity of 132 and is equipped with all necessary facilities.

Initially, the government had decided to expand the limits of the existing assembly hall. However, consultants rejected expansion in the small building, which once housed the West Pakistan High Court and then the Peshawar High Court. “The main building will remain intact. The government will not disturb its facade,” the assembly secretary said.

Official sources said the government would soon undertake expansion work at the assembly building, including renovation of hall, lobbies, chambers and chambers for ministers and standing committees.

The maintenance department has started demolition of the assembly secretariat building where the construction of the new hall has been proposed.

Deputy director Building and Works Asif Khan said the appointment of consultants was in progress and construction work would start within two-and-a-half months. “The new hall will take about 18 months to complete,” he said, adding the government had yet to release funds for the project. However, he said, the department had Rs25 million to launch the project.

The assembly secretariat officials said the National Accountability Bureau which occupied the existing MPA hostel had converted one of its portion into an interrogation cell. They did not show any intention to vacate the hostel.

Earlier, NAB had planned to establish its offices at the assembly building, but owing to the opposition of the political parties it had to abandon its plan. The political parties were still opposed to the NAB presence in the MPA hostel.