The line of fire: Auqaf minister under the microscope at assembly

Accused of using department funds for political purposes, appointments

PESHAWAR: Jamaat-e-Islami came under fire at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly during Monday’s session. Opposition members demanded an enquiry over allegations that the Auqaf department’s funds were being used for political purposes such as appointments.

The minister for Auqaf, JI’s Habibur Rahman, answered questions fielded by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl lawmaker from Buner, Mufti Fazal Ghafoor. Rahman was visibly enraged by Ghafoor’s allegations. The latter said Rahman favoured JI-run madrassas and mosques and provided aids from the Auqaf department, while ignoring others. Rahman recited the Kalma and swore he never misused his authority to appoint JI’s people for the khatib posts. He underlined the selection criteria was never violated.

The debate between the two started in a question and answer session which focused on Rahman’s ministry. Majority of questions on the day’s agenda were about his department.

Evidence in hand

Ghafoor said his questions were answered by the Auqaf department of K-P which revealed Rs500,000 had been given to Madrassa Markaz-e-Islami in Buner. He called the madrassa a political office of JI and accused Rahman of using government funds for political purposes. Ghafoor added mosques and seminaries in his constituency had been ignored and some districts were handed more funds and others totally sidelined.

Responding to a question, Rahman said, “I have given funds to madrassas and mosques without any discrimination.” He added funds were given to those mosques and seminaries seeking aid in accordance with government-defined procedures.

Ghafoor was calling for accountability – something the government claims to have a process in place for. He even asked Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to conduct an enquiry into the matter, but the latter refused.

Ghafoor accused Rahman of favoring and appointing JI’s favourite boys as khatibs. He wanted K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to refer the question to the relevant committee of the house.

Rahman responded saying he never used unfair means even for his own son and had no idea if any of the appointees were affiliated with JI.

He then came under fire from Sardar Hussain Babak of the Awami National Party for privatising Auqaf Model School in Tangi, Charsadda. School students and teachers protested outside the assembly over the privatisation and were brought into the building by lawmakers.

Explaining the issue, Rahman said the school was built on the principle of no profit and no loss. However, the institute faced losses worth Rs242,000 a month. He added it was beyond the means of the department to sustain the school. He made assurances the students’ fees would not be increased and the teachers and other staff would not be rendered jobless.

Matters of migration

Pakistan Peoples Party parliamentary leader Nighat Orakzai drew the house’s attention to people migrating from Chitral to Afghanistan. “The people of the area are being forced to migrate to the neighbouring country as they need assistance after being hit by an earthquake,” she added.

“The federal government and Sharif brothers, who call themselves public servants, are unmoved by the grievances of these victims.”

She demanded the chief minister put pressure on the federal government and stop people from becoming refugees. Orakzai called Nawaz Sharif a “king” who doesn’t care about the public’s problems.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2016.