K-P Assembly’s 11th session misses most agenda items

Opposition likely to intensify protest when next session commences next week

PESHAWAR: The provincial assembly’s eleventh session, which started on February 17, has quietly passed into oblivion, missing most of its agenda items due to the protests, mudslinging, allegations and counter-allegations being traded between the Treasury and Opposition benches.

The two sides have spent much of the past meetings of the session at loggerheads over the government’s reluctance to release development funds to opposition members.

Talks between a ministerial committee formed by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani and parliamentary leaders of the opposition parties have failed to break the deadlock.

On the first day of the eleventh session, questions related to the release of development funds for the newly merged tribal districts in the province could not be answered after the opposition disrupted the session with their protests. Similarly, Call-to-Attention notices about the mass-transit project being built in Peshawar, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, could not be tabled on the first day of the session.

On February 18, the second day of the ongoing session, questions relating to the health and sports in the province were also skipped as the treasury and opposition benches traded barbs.

An adjournment motion related to the spread of the novel coronavirus in the province could not be addressed either.

When the provincial assembly met next, on February 21, at least 16 questions related to the information and education departments were included on the agenda. But none of them could be addressed.

An adjournment motion regarding the flour crisis, transport fares and price hikes of daily food items were also skipped while another adjournment motion regarding the increase in polio cases in the province was also not addressed due to the ruckus created by lawmakers from both sides.

K-P Assembly Speaker Ghani ended up skipping as many as 16 questions related to the local government, transport and irrigation during the sitting of the assembly on February 24.

The provincial assembly met for an hour on February 25, but the 16 questions relating to the information and health departments remained unanswered.

The assembly sitting on March 2 also failed to answer at least 12 questions while an adjournment motion related to the murder of female polio workers were not addressed. Another adjournment motion related to the use of drugs in educational institutions became subject to the protest in the session.

During the last six sittings, most of the agenda items by the opposition were not addressed due to the ruckus in the assembly.

The opposition’s protest intensified on last Monday and badly disturbed the assembly proceedings with lawmakers banging desks with hammers and blowing whistles.

Protest expected in upcoming session

A senior opposition leader in the provincial assembly told The Express Tribune that they intend to continue their protest in the house until their demands are fulfilled, irrespective of the session.

The lawmaker added that protests were their only choice as the government does not appear sincere in addressing their demands.

He continued that protests for the fulfilment of their genuine demands are their constitutional right which no one can take.

The lawmaker said they will intensify their protests, suggesting that the opposition lawmakers may set up a protest camp in front of the provincial assembly. The K-P Assembly is expected to meet next on March 16.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2020.