K-P Assembly takes up NFC Award issue

Information minister assures investigation of Sikh man’s murder

PESHAWAR: The provincial assembly on Monday finally decided to discuss the issue of the National Finance Commission (NFC) award for the province. The house also discussed the murder of a Sikh native in the provincial capital the other day.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly resumed its session on Monday with Speaker Mushtaq Ghani in the chair. During the proceedings, an adjournment was moved by the Leader of the Opposition Akram Khan Durrani, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s (MMA) Inayatullah Khan, Awami National Party’s (ANP) Parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Aurangzaib Nalota and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Nighat Yasmin Orakzai as they sought a discussion on the decision taken by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) on awarding the province its due right under the AGN-Kazi formula.

MMA’s Inayataullah, while launching the debate on the matter, said that the share of K-P province in the award had increased after the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata) were merged into the province.

He further argued that under the constitution, the share of the province will further increase in every award while keeping in view the increase in the province’s population.

Earlier, during the session, K-P Information Technology Minister presented the K-P Civil Administration (Public Service Delivery and Good Governance) Bill, 2020. The House, though, deferred the consideration of the K-P Panahgah Bill, 2019 and the K-P Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Three privilege motions were also referred to the privileged committee for further action.

Ruling party MPA Abdul Salam tabled two privilege motions in the house on Monday against the SDO of Mardan and the district health officer. Meanwhile, PPP lawmaker Sahibzada Sanaullah also presented a motion against the Upper Dir District Education Officer (DEO).

Provincial Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai stated that public servants do not heed the calls of elected members of the assembly which should be take-up and referred to the relevant committee. HE urged officials to look into issues of power and gas load-shedding and to summon top officials of the utility companies to explain the matter.

Women caucus

During the K-P Assembly session, Orakzai raised the issue of depriving women MPs of the opportunity to serve in the provincial cabinet.

She criticised the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) of failing to induct a woman into the cabinet despite a massive expansion, even though women have voted for every legislation of the ruling party.

The PTI is violating its own manifesto by depriving its own women members [of a seat in the provincial cabinet], Orakzai stated.

Separately, members of the women caucus in the provincial assembly said that they have resolved their differences.

Murder of Sikh youth

The K-P Assembly also took up the issue of Sikh man Ravinder Singh being murdered in the provincial capital. Minority member Ranjeet Singh demanded that the provincial government apprehend those responsible and hand them exemplary punishment.

In response, Yousafzai said that they do not have any information about the culprits as yet, however, he assured that the police were looking into the matter and soon, the identity of the murders and their motives will be ascertained through investigation.

Abbottabad development

The provincial government on Monday approved the establishment of a food street, five open-air gymnasiums, a badminton court and a football stadium in Abbottabad.

K-P Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani chaired a meeting at the Assembly Secretariat in Peshawar on Monday with Senior Minister for Sport and Tourism Atif Khan to review renovation work on the old sports grounds and provision of new sporting facilities in Abbottabad.

Atif directed the communication and Works (C&W) department to take swift measures to build the new badminton court, football stadium and food street in the city.

The C&W was further directed to identify a site to build a sports complex in Abbottabad and to submit a project concept-I (PC-I) soon.

Ghani called for immediately identifying the site to build sports facilities in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2020.