PESHAWAR, Sept 8: The NWFP Assembly on Monday, through two similar resolutions, demanded of the federal government, especially President General Pervez Musharraf, to release funds for the development of the Peshawar city which the President had promised during his referendum campaign in the city.
ANP leader Bashir Ahmed Bilour asked the chair to suspend routine proceedings of the House and allow him to table a joint resolution on an important issue.
Deputy Speaker Ikramullah Shahid, who was presiding over the session, sought the opinion of the House and suspended the proceedings and permitted Mr Bilour to present the resolution.
Through a joint resolution, Mr Bilour demanded of the President to release funds for the construction of 200 tube-wells, installation of 200 transformers and provision of natural gas to rural population of the Peshawar city.
During his visit to Peshawar in 2002, the President had promised at a referendum rally that he would spend millions of rupees on the development of Peshawar.
Mr Bilour claimed that the federal government had released development funds to the three provinces but the NWFP had yet to receive the promised money.
The resolution also demanded of the federal government to ensure payment of the promised money.
Mr Khalid Waqar Chamkani of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MM) also presented a similar resolution and the House adopted both the resolutions.
Earlier, Minister for Social Welfare Hafiz Hashmat Ali read out a statement in the House, demanding provision of natural gas for residents of his constituency in the city.
Ms Rehan Ismael of the MMA drew the attention of the chair towards rising crime rate in her constituency and demanded concrete measures to check the trend.
Mr Anwar Kamal Khan of the PML-N suggested the chair to adopt a unanimous resolution against what he called the FBI-led operation in the North and South Waziristan agencies.
He warned that after a siege-and-search operation in eastern Afghanistan, the US forces might enter the Pakistan territory.
“On the one hand the ISPR claims there is no operation going on in Fata, on the other the city is rife with rumours that an operation is under way in tribal areas,” the PML-N leader observed.
He said if the Treasury benches were reluctant to discuss the matter, the opposition should be allowed to table a resolution against the operation in Fata.
Endorsing the federal government’s line, Saeed Khan of the PML-Q denied presence of FBI agents in the tribal areas and said that Pakistan armed forces had right to enter Fata anytime for security reasons.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Malik Zafar Azam endorsed the views expressed by PML-Q leader Saeed Khan on the issue.
Mr Azam was, however, reluctant to speak more on the matter and wound it up immediately.
Later, responding to lawmakers’ complaints about the non-execution of development schemes in their areas they identified under the Tameer-i-Sarhad Programme, Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani assured them that funds for these schemes would be released within two weeks.
He asked them to inquire about the TSP funds after two weeks at their respective districts.
He also endorsed resolutions tabled by Bashir Ahmed Bilour and Khalid WAqar Chamkani seeking release of funds announced by President Musharraf last year.
“I will also write to President and Prime Minister on the issue and request them to provide us with the promised funds,” the chief minister pledged.
The chief minister allowed lawmakers to include purchase of land for graveyards, funeral grounds, construction of Shingle roads and development schemes not less than Rs30,000 in the Tameer-i-Sarhad Programme. He, however, refused to allow them to include construction of community centres (Hujras) under the TSP package.
He told the House that the finance department had released funds to 89 MPAs out of 119 who had submitted their development schemes with the department concerned.