Law limiting backpack weight passed

Assembly also passes dispute resolution and civil procedure bills

PESHAWAR:

Students of the province on Tuesday breathed a sigh of relief after the house passed a bill to limit the weight of their backpacks.

Moreover, the speaker ruled that anti-harassment booklets should be distributed amongst students at schools, colleges and universities while banners inscribed with details of helplines and other places where students can seek help can be put up at public places.

This was passed during a session of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly on Tuesday.

The assembly convened with Speaker Mushtaq Ghani in the chair. The session started over an hour later than its scheduled time because most of the opposition had pitched a camp near the Chief Minister House to protest the government’s failure to release development funds for them.

During the session, the House passed three government bills including the K-P Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2020, the K-P Alternate Dispute Resolution Bill 2020, and the K-P School Bags (Limitation of Weight) Bill 2020.

Two bills were introduced during the session, including the K-P Universities (Second Amendment) Bill 2020, and the K-P Rehabilitation of Minorities (Victim of Terrorism) Endowment Fund Bill 2020.

Weight limit

Under the law, public and private schools will be required to ensure that student backpacks do not weigh more than what they can bear.

Only Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) lawmaker Mehmood Bhatti opposed the bill.

Later, while addressing a news conference, K-P Education Minister Shahram Tarkai and Special Assistant to CM on Information Kamran Bangash, said that students can finally get rid of heavy bags and hoped that it will lead to a healthier study environment for them.

Tarakai termed the law as the first of its kind in the country, adding that it will be equally applicable to public and private schools.

To monitor the implementation of the law, he said that an education monitoring system will be set up which will work with district education officers to ensure that the law is implemented. For those violating the law, they can face up to Rs200,000 in fines.

We have turned schools bags into smart bags and students will only have to bring those books to school which are used on that day, he added.

PTI lawmaker Fahim Ahmed tabled a privilege motion against the SHO of the Pishtakhara police station, claiming that the officer was allegedly involved in political activities in the area.

The privilege motion was referred to the privilege committee.

Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) parliamentary leader Bilawal Afridi, on a call to attention notice, claimed that due to the unclear policy the investors and industries were moving out of the province which was unfortunate and a great loss.

Responding to the lawmaker, Special Advisor Abdul Karim Khan said that industries had relocated due to the uncertain security situation in the province. However, the government was trying to bring them back.

“We have rehabilitated 228 units out of 523 industrial units and added that out of 100 MMFCD we would provide 40 MMFCD to the Rashakai industrial zone,” he said.

Harassment

While hearing an adjournment motion moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Nighat Orakzai on harassment in campuses, Ghani ruled that anti-harassment booklets should be distributed amongst students and staff at schools, colleges and universities. Moreover, banners should be put up in public places with helpline numbers.

Earlier, Orakzai expressed her resentment that the provincial government had failed to share their seriousness on legislation to curtail the harassment against women and students at various educational institutions while she accused the assembly of delaying the legislation.

She further demanded that the standing committee on human rights should be made a part and parcel of the harassment committee.

Orakzai lamented that the ruling of the assembly speaker carried little weight outside the assembly as no one paid any heed to it. She argued that co-education should be abolished in the province.

Bangash has said that in his three months tenure in the education ministry, two cases were reported which were referred to the Governor’s inspection teams.

The speaker then adjourned the session until Friday.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2020.