PESHAWAR, April 25: The provincial assembly on Friday admitted two identical adjournment motions to discuss the closure of the Frontier Cooperative Bank, which ended the services of hundreds of employees and caused hardship to local farmers.

Abdul Akbar Khan of the People’s Party Parliamentarians and Alamzeb Khan of the PPP (Sherpao) tabled identical adjournment motions and requested the house to discuss the under-process liquidation of the bank.

The house admitted the motions for discussion.

The session, presided over by Speaker Bakht Jahan Khan, kicked off with a point of

order raised by Israr Khan Gandapur regarding the 150 transfers and postings made in back date in his district, Dera Ismail Khan.

Local Government Minister Sardar Idrees denied that any such transfers and postings had been made in back date. If it had happened, it would be rectified, he said.

Speaking about the destruction of over 700 houses in Kaghan valley during the snowfall and torrential rains, Mazhar Qasim Shah said the affected people had not been provided any relief by the government. Despite promises on the floor of the house, the government had not taken any step for the rehabilitation for the poor people, he said.

He complained that the house was engaged in passing meaningless resolutions and not doing any legislation on pressing issues.

Senior Minister Sirajul Haq assured Mr Shah that the affected people would be provided relief.

Zakirullah Khan of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal presented his adjournment motion on the frequent increase in transport fares by the transporters without any reason. He requested the house to activate the committee on transport to review the fares at district level. He didn’t press his motion.

Qalb-i-Hasan of the Awami National Party drew the attention of the house towards the shortage of furniture and ceiling fans in the MPAs’ Hostel on the Sher Shah Soori Road, which had been in the use of the National Accountability Bureau for several years.

Earlier, on a call attention notice, Anwar Kamal Marwat of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) asked the government to open the road in front of the United States consulate for the general public. He said the indefinite closure of the road had been a source of hardship for the people. Maulana Mujahid of the MMA also endorsed the demand.

The senior minister said it was the duty of the government to give all possible protection to the foreign missions. He said the road had been closed by the previous government.

Bashir Ahmed Bilour of the ANP complained that the MMA leaders had sacked honest persons serving as Zakat committee members in various districts and inducted their supporters.

Zakat and Ushr Minister Hafiz Hashmat claimed that he had sacked dishonest people who had not disbursed Zakat to the needy people.

During the question hour, most of the MPAs spoke about the inhuman conditions at various district prisons. Shah Raz Khan of the MMA said there was no prison in Malakand and the present lock-up was a stable during the British rule.

Javed Mohmand said Peshawar’s prison was being built 30km away from the city in Nowshera district.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Malik Zafar Azam said the jail had been shifted out of the city. “We are short of the required land around the city. Most of the jails were built in the colonial period, which cannot cater to the present needs,” he added.

APP ADDS: Responding to a question of Anwar Kamal, the senior minister informed the provincial assembly that during 2002 more than 1.2 million Afghan refugees were repatriated to their homeland with the cooperation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.