Constitutional issue: Bill in K-P Assembly to extend K-P laws to PATA

Amendment bills proposed for laws regarding child protection and medical teaching institutions

PESHAWAR: Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Sultan Muhammad Khan on Wednesday tabled 'The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Continuation of Laws in Erstwhile Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) Bill 2018' in the provincial assembly seeking extension of provincial laws in ex-PATA which merged into K-P.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government in order to save the merged tribal areas from a constitutional crisis has decided to retain the existing laws.

According to the bill, the Action in Aid of Civil Power Regulation already imposed in PATA under Constitution’s Article 247 with the approval of the president will continue to stay enforced until the laws governing the former tribal and frontier regions are annulled or amended.

Moreover, the bill proposed giving police authority to Levies Force in the tribal districts.

It also suggested forming a committee headed by the chief secretary to resolve matters related to PATA merger.

K-P Law Minister Sultan Muhammad presented the bill in continuation of efforts of the smooth merger of tribal areas with the province under the 25th Constitutional Amendment.

Child Protection Bill

Muhammad Khan also tabled the Child Protection and Welfare (Amendment) Bill 2018.

The bill aims to include secretary health on the Child Protection Advisory Board.

It proposed taking permission from the national treasury mandatory for creating vacancies in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission.

The service period of Chief Protection Officer of the commission will be three years which could be extended only once, the bill suggested.

The amendment bill proposed making district social welfare officers in-charge child protection units which will be formed in every district under the Child Protection and Welfare Act.

Policy board for MTIs

Minister for Health Ehtisham Inamullah Khan presented a 'The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms (Amendment) bill 2018. According to the bill, the government through recommendations of search and nomination council will devise a provincial policy board for Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI).

The board will have at least five and maximum seven members who will be appointed for three years.

Every MTI will have its board of governors, besides an academic council will be formed in every college headed by a dean of a department. Similarly, every MTI will have a management committee headed by a dean of a faculty. These committees will have heads of departments of MTIs on board.

Moreover, the bill suggested that the government should form a mediatory board to resolve conflicts between MTI staff and management.

The board may include retired judges, lawyers of high courts and Supreme Court.

Speaker warns absent ministers

Chairing the K-P Assembly session on Wednesday, Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani ruled that minister would be required to take leave of absence through an application, “absence without leave will not be tolerated. Ever cabinet member needs to take assembly session seriously and mention his pre-occupation and engagements in the applications seeking leave from the House during the assembly session.”

The speaker gave this ruling after ANP MPA Khushdil Khan drew the attention of the House towards absence of majority of the ministers from the assembly session. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2018.