PESHAWAR, Sept 24: Leaders of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal have cautioned the Deputy Speaker Ikram Ullah Shahid against convening a session of the provincial assembly before its next scheduled sitting in the absence of the speaker.
They advised the deputy speaker not to go against the NWFP assembly Speaker's decision. "Before making up his mind to revert the speaker's decision, the deputy speaker must seek advice from the NWFP law secretary," said Mufti Kifayatullah, regarded as the official spokesman for the MMA in the NWFP in his capacity as the alliance's provincial information secretary.
He said that the deputy speaker could exercise powers of the speaker while dealing with routine matters in his absence. "But he cannot revert a decision taken by the speaker," Mufti Kifayat told Dawn.
Haji Jalil Jan, JUI-F's secretary information, said the deputy speaker was not empowered to convene the session during the adjournment period. "The deputy speaker can convene a fresh session of the PA in the absence of the speaker but not under the present circumstances," said Mr Jan.
However, their viewpoint was rejected by leaders of the opposition who said that the deputy speaker was authorized to do so in the absence of the speaker. "He (deputy speaker) becomes the full speaker and not the acting speaker when the person holding the office of the speaker is not around," said Awami National Party's Haji Mohammed Adeel, a former deputy speaker of the NWFP assembly.
Rejecting Mufti Kifayatullah's assertion, Haji Adeel said that he had been taking important decisions in the absence of the speaker during the last PML(N)-ANP coalition government.
Fresh debate over the question of deputy speaker's powers to convene an adjourned session of the PA before its next scheduled meeting started after MMA's Ikram Ullah Shahid, deputy speaker of the provincial assembly, on Thursday last made public his intentions to convene the session by reverting the speaker's decision.
Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan, who is abroad, had adjourned the PA's session on Sep 20 for 15 days, setting Oct 5 as the next date for the next session. Mr Khan had told journalists on Sep 20 that he had made the decision after consulting deputy speaker Ikramullah Shahid of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Samiul Haq group).
Irked by the speaker's decision, Mr Shahid, who is unhappy with the provincial government because of its policies viz-a-viz development process, had told journalists that he would requisition the session to fulfil constitutional requirements.
He had taken the position that the date for holding PA's next sitting (before Oct 5) would be announced in 24 hours. However, he has not yet materialized the move.
Anwar Kamal Marwat, PML-N's parliamentary leader in the NWFP assembly said that the deputy speaker would hold a meeting with leaders of all parliamentary groups belonging to the opposition on Monday to decide future strategy.
Nonetheless, the opposition parties appear to be divided over the question of convening the provincial assembly's session before Oct 5. "There is no urgency and it would only add to confrontation between the treasury and opposition benches," said Mr Marwat, adding: "I also advised Mr Shahid to avoid using his powers [in the absence of the speaker] as it would further worsen his relationship with his parliamentary party".
Shahzada Gustasip, leader of the combined opposition said that the opposition bloc would support the deputy speaker if he chose to convene the session. "Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan adjourned the session for 15 days unnecessarily, he should have shown confidence in the deputy speaker by letting him preside over the House in his absence," said the opposition leader.
The opposition, he maintained, would welcome the deputy speaker's decision. "We had requisitioned the current session, so we would certainly like to hold debate on all those agenda items that are pending because of the 15 day long adjournment of the proceedings of the assembly," said Mr Gustasip.