K-P CM extends olive branch to opposition MPAs

Mahmood Khan agrees to release development funds for lawmakers

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, seeking to end the protest of the opposition lawmakers, has again assured them of accepting the ratio of 65:35 for the distribution of development funds.

MPAs from the treasury benches will get 65% share of district development funds while the opposition will get 35% as per the formula.

Besides, K-P CM has put a halt on the release of funds for the government MPAs of southern districts, sources said on Monday.

In apparent move of appeasement, government is trying to break the ice by hosting Iftar parties for the opposition.

The opposition had resigned from the standing committees of the K-P Assembly last month in protest over being ignored in the distribution of development funds.

K-P CM deputed K-P Law Minister Sultan Muhammad Khan to talk to the opposition benches on various issues, including the development funds.

On the other hand the provincial government has halted funds for the PTI MPA in southern district of the province, which has melted the ice between the two sides and two members from opposition benches have participated in the standing committee meetings here in Peshawar on Monday.

A sources in the provincial government has told The Express Tribune that to bring harmony in the provincial assembly and eliminate the grievances of the opposition benches on the development funds, the Chief minister has assured the opposition benches that they would get their due shared of the already decided formula between the ruling and opposition benches of 65/35 in the KP assembly.

The pre decided formula between the ruling and opposition benches have already fix on,  that provincial government wouldn’t allocate funds to the MPA from Southern districts of the province and those funds which were release to the government members of the provincial assembly would also be halted.

The sources also added that Chief Minister had assigned the provincial law minister Sultan Mahmood Khan to bridge the gaps between the government and opposition benches and retake their decision of resigning from the standing committees which work and added that that soon the chief minister would hold an Iftar dinner for the opposition and member benches.

Meanwhile the sources in the assembly secretariat told that two members of the opposition benches have participated in the standing committee meeting , while the speaker also told the express tribune that they desired that the opposition should be part of the standing committee, as the CM would soon sought out the matters with the opposition benches.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2019.