With the provincial assembly set to resume its session today (Monday), the treasury and opposition benches are setting up for a clash over recent incidents surrounding Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders.
An agenda for the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly session posted on Sunday read that the government hopes to introduce and pass another resolution condemning former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Opposition members have expressed their plans to protest the arrest of the deposed premier’s son-in-law Captain (retired) Muhammad Safdar.
Two privilege motions and a call-to-attention-notice is also expected to be tabled in the session.
The call-to-attention-notice is about the collapsed mine in the Mohmand district and has been submitted by the Awami National Party (ANP) leader Nisar Mohmand.
The privilege motions would be tabled against the principal of the Edwardes College in Peshawar and the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) security director.
An opposition lawmaker said that they will also raise the issue of issuing development funds during the session. He said that the Leader of the Opposition in the K-P assembly Akram Durrani has already taken up the issue of uplift funds with Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani who has assured to address the issue.
opposition leaders were given just Rs30 million in the past three years under the head of development funds while the treasury benches members were provided with a whopping Rs200 million, he stated.
New force to retrieve K-PETPB lands
To retrieve properties owned by the provincial Evacuee Trust Properties Board (ETPB) from land grabbers, the government has prepared a draft law to set up a special force.
The new force will be raised along the lines of the forest and tourism police in the province.
Initially, a 20-member special police team will be formed which will take action against land grabbers.
A statement issued in this regard said that lands owned by the K-P ETPB in various cities have been occupied by land grabbers and a grand operation has been planned to retrieve these properties.
The government is also expected to table a draft of the law in the provincial assembly today (Monday) to provide the force with legal cover.
Earlier in August, the provincial government had also tabled the K-P Evacuee Trust Properties Amendment Bill 2020, for imposing heavy penalties and sentences for the misuse, and illegal occupation of lands owned by the board.
Anyone found misusing or occupying land owned by the ETPB could be fined up to Rs15 million or sent to jail under the law.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2020.
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