PESHAWAR, Aug 28: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly here Tuesday asked the federal government to take serious and effective steps to stop US drone attacks in the country.

Treasury and opposition benches unanimously passed a resolution which strongly condemned drone strikes in Fata and said that such attacks tend to violate the country’s sovereignty.

“Innocent people are targeted in drone attacks, therefore federal government should immediately adopt serious measures against these attacks,” said the resolution, which was read by Mufti Kifayatullah of Muttahidda Majlis-i-Amal (MMA).

The house also passed another resolution which condemned killing of Muslims in Myanmar. Pakistan Muslim League-N parliamentary leader Pir Sabir Shah tabled the resolution. It said that this assembly condemned state-sponsored terrorism on religious lines and expressed solidarity with the suppressed people of Myanmar.

The assembly asked federal government to take up problems of Muslims in Myanmar on international forums including United Nations to stop these atrocities. Earlier opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani tabled an adjournment motion and drew the house attention towards “massacre” of Muslims in Myanmar.

He claimed that Muslims had been under attack and reportedly more than 10,000 houses in Muslim populated areas had been burnt down. It was very unfortunate that international community did not take notice of atrocities in Myanmar, he said and urged the federal government to use the diplomatic channels to stop killing of Muslims.

Replying to the adjournment motion, information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that they should condemn violence in all its manifestations including state terrorism and extremism. He said that it was the responsibility of Myanmar government to ensure security of its citizens. He said that UN should take notice of the situation in Myanmar.

During the question-answer session, patwaris (revenue officials) invariably came under discussion in the assembly. MPA Sunjeda Yousaf of Pakistan People’s Party through a question suggested that the government should work out policy for the posting and transfer of patwaris.

She said that in some areas patwaris had gained more powers and influence and had not been transferred for the last one decade. She suggested that government should chalk out policy and ensure transfer of patwaris on yearly basis.

Other members from treasury and opposition also piled up complaints against patwaris. They said that patwaris had become so powerful and blamed the minister concerned to be totally helpless. They said that the house committees had proposed recommendations to overhaul the revenue system but these recommendations had not been implemented.

Minister for revenue Mohammad Shuja Khan informed the lawmakers that all patwaris were being transferred across the province and notification would be issued within the next two days. He said that land settlement record was being computerised and under the new policy powers of patwaris were also being curtailed.

He said that computerisation of land settlement record in Peshawar District was in final stage and it was being introduced in seven other districts.

He said that under the law revenue minister had no role in posting and transfer of patwaris.

Speaker Kiramatullah Khan Chagharmatti adjourned proceedings till Friday next.

On a point of order, independent MPA from Swabi Mohammad Javid Taraki asked government to ensure security of schools in the district.

He said that miscreants had stepped up activities in rural and semi urban areas of the province, particularly in Swabi. He said that six schools had been bombed in his constituency and asked the government to start rehabilitation of damaged schools.