Opposition bangs assembly desks with hammers

Non-release of development funds to opposition lawmakers remain real issue

PESHAWAR: The provincial assembly session on Monday was once again marred by the tussle between the opposition and treasury benches.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly met with Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani in the chair.

The rumpus in the provincial assembly continues since the start of its 11th session on February 17 last month. Both sides have been at loggerheads over non-release of development funds to the opposition MPAs for uplift schemes in their constituencies.

The opposition lawmakers used a novel way for recording protest during the session by banging their desks with hammers and blowing whistles.

Amidst the protest by opposition, the provincial assembly held first reading of a government bill–K-P Water Bill, 2020–that is aimed to manage and regulate the water resources in the province. The provincial law minister introduced the bill under which a water resource commission for effective management and utilisation of provincial water resources would be established. The bill was not referred to any committee. The chief minister would head the commission while the forests, agriculture, industry, finance, public health and engineering and two water experts would be its members.

Moved as supplementary agenda, the house also adopted three resolutions that urged the provincial government to provide better equipment to polytechnic institutes for women, to make commerce and technical education compulsory from middle to matric-level education, and revert the embargo on 25-year-old vehicles.

Following the protest by opposition members, Speaker Mushtaq Ghani adjourned the session until March 16.

Opposition leader

Speaking to media the Opposition Leader in the K-P Assembly Akram Khan Durrani said that opposition wouldn’t budge from their demands. The opposition would continue the protest until its demands are not fulfilled, he said, adding that they even have planned to hold protest outside the Chief Minister House.

Durrani said the K-P chief minister backtracked from his promises he had made with the opposition while the attitude of the provincial assembly speaker towards opposition was also not good.

Protest for fulfillment of their genuine demands was a constitutional right and nobody could take it, he added.

Information minister

The provincial Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai while speaking to media said that they had been wondering as to why the opposition had been protesting as the government has always tried to accommodate it in the assembly . He said the opposition had assured it would not protest and would let the smooth running of the session.

Yousafzai said the are ready to talk to the opposition on all issues including the release of development funds, however, spoiling the assembly session for personal gains was an injustice to public.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2020.