PESHAWAR, Feb 22: A group of five independent MPAs, led by former NWFP chief minister Sardar Inaytullah Khan Gandapur, has withdrawn its support to the government, accusing the MMA of mismanagement and bad governance.

Mr Gandapur, taking the assembly floor, held the Jamiat Ulema-i- Islam responsible for promoting incompetent people. “The JUI leadership, through its wrongdoings, has forced us to withdraw our support. We have great respect for the Muttahida Majlis-i- Amal, but we cannot pull along with the chief minister,” he added.

The fourth session of the NWFP Assembly, presided over by speaker Bakht Jahan Khan, began an hour late on Saturday.

When Mr Gandapur began lashing out at the government, it was obvious that he was going to part ways with the MMA-led government, but later talking to the newsmen, the former chief minister denied that he had any plan to dislodge the MMA government with the help of the PPP-S, PML-Q and others.

Mureed Kazim of the PPP-S, welcomed the independent MPAs to the opposition benches.

Earlier, the speaker of the assembly administered the oath to the two newly elected MPAs, Sardar Israrullah Khan Gandapur of the PPP-S and Maulana Mohammed Idress of the MMA.

The House also offered Fateha for the PAF officials, who died in Thursday’s plane crash and the people who lost their lives in the rains.

The speaker nominated Maulana Amanullah Haqani, Iftikhar Ahmed Jhagra, Ayaz Khan and Dr Mohammed Saleem on panel of chairmen for the current session and Ikramullah Shahid, Ayaz Khan, Kashaf Azam, Khalil Abbas, Qurban Ali, Abdul Majid and Sikandar Sherpao members of the petition committee.

Bashir Ahmed Bilour, Anwar Kamal Khan, Dr Saleem Khan, Mushtaq Ghani, Shahzada Gastasip, Mureed Kazim and Qalandar Lodhi highlighted the miseries of rain-affected people and urged the government to announce at least Rs100,000 for the each affected family.

The opposition members also staged a walkout over the attitude of the government.

Senior minister Sirajul Haq told the House that the government had ordered the authorities of all the affected districts to submit a complete assessment of human loss, and that the government would pay Rs100,000 to each family whose bread- earner had died during the rains.

On a call attention notice, Rifat Akbar Swati of the PPP-S asked the government to distribute the cooking oil, donated a year ago by the World Food Programme for primary school children, in the 138 schools. If the oil was not distributed within six months its usable duration would expire, the MPA added.

Explaining government position, Local Bodies minister Sardar Idress held the Jerry-builders responsible for the caving-in of a school’s roof in Mansabdar, Swabi. “We will end rule of commission mafia from the government departments and build sustainable and durable buildings in the future,” he added.

The House referred a privilege motion of Maulana Ismatullah to the concerned committee. He demanded that MPAs should be exempted from toll tax.

Anwar Kamal Khan asked the government to open the road in front of the US Consulate for the general public, and lamented that the government was not paying heed to the issue.

Ikramullah Shahid and Hamid Iqbal tabled adjournment motions, but they did not press following assurance by Sardar Idrees.