Opposition threatens protest against lack of uplift funds

PESHAWAR:

The opposition benches in the provincial assembly have once again threatened to stage a walkout if the development funds are not released.

Opposition Leader in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly Akram Durrani warned Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani during a meeting on Saturday. Several other opposition and treasury benches lawmakers were also present during the meeting.

An opposition leader familiar with the development told The Express Tribune that the opposition leader informed the speaker that after their protest during the 11th session of the provincial assembly, the government had promised to release development funds, however, the government has yet to release the funds.

Durrani informed the speaker that if K-P Chief Minister Mahmood Khan did not resolve the issue immediately, they will start a series of protests.

The opposition leader added that during the past three years, the opposition lawmakers have been provided only Rs30 million uplift funds each while members of the treasury benches have been provided up to Rs200 million development funds.

The sources confirmed that Durrani demanded of the speaker to organise a meeting of the opposition lawmakers with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan for discussing the issue of development funds and warned that if the issue was not resolved, the opposition would launch a series of protests against the government in the provincial assembly and also on the roads.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2020.