PESHAWAR, Jan 2: The NWFP assembly on Thursday adopted seven resolutions, including one which seeks to waive personal residential tax, arms licence fee and motor vehicle token tax.

The third session, presided over by speaker Bakht Jahan Khan, began with call attention notices by various MPAs on recruitment of women technicians in hospitals, posting of women teachers near their homes, utilization of sewing machines rusting away in the official godowns and exemption for girls from the requirement of pasting photographs on exam forms. The ministers concerned assured the house that necessary action would be taken.

Pir Mohammad Khan of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) tabled his unique resolution seeking a decision in the light of Islamic Ideology Council on provincial taxes. He told the house that the IIC had exempted the citizens from the payment of three taxes and demanded of the government to waive them. The house unanimously passed the resolution, which binds the government to implement it.

Through a second resolution, Mr Khan requested the federal government to release all the people, who had battled against the US-backed forces in Afghanistan, and are detained in prisons. The house adopted the resolution unanimously.

Through his resolution, Anwar Kamal Khan of the PML-N, asked the provincial government to approach the federal government on the treatment meted out to over 200,000 Pakistan nationals in the US on the pretext of having them registered, photographed and fingerprinted.

The federal government should take up this issue with the US government and secure exemption of Pakistan nationals from this requirement. The house adopted the resolution unanimously.

Zar Gul Khan of the Q-League and Muzaffar Said of the MMA tabled identical resolutions on the doing away with the interest-based economy. The house unanimously adopted the resolutions.

Zar Gul also tabled a resolution, demanding of the government to declare Friday as closed holiday instead of Sunday. The MPA explained to the house that it was very important for Muslims to observe Friday as closed holiday.

Explaining the position, senior minister, Sirajul Haq, said it was purely a federal government subject, but the NWFP government would convey the sentiments of the NWFP people to the federal government.

Some of the members were of the view it would not work as, in the past, various governments had gone through this experience. The house, however, passed it by majority.

Shahzada Mohammad Gistasip from Mansehra tabled three assorted resolutions, seeking financial aid and loan-waiver for the rain-affected people of Pakhal Mansehra; utilisation of water resources (river Kunhar) for power-generation, irrigation schemes and construction of drinking water schemes; and expansion of gas-pipeline up to Buffa, Shinkiari, Bajna, Bherkund, Khwajgan, Khaki Chitta Batta, Sand-i-Sar, Garhi Habibullah and Balakot.

The house adopted two resolutions unanimously while the mover did not press the third concerning rain-affected people of Pakhal in Mansehra after the assurance held out by the minister concerned.

Later, the house concluded its debate on the LFO.