GBLA session: Opposition lawmakers want resolutions implemented

Advertised posts not to be affected by federal government’s ban on appointments.

GILGIT:

The third day of the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Legislative Assembly saw the opposition benches voice their concern over the non-implementation of resolutions adopted by the house unanimously.

“It is really a matter of concern for all of us as the resolutions are not being implemented,” said PML-N lawmaker Janbaz Khan.

He was supported by other opposition benches in the session chaired by Deputy Speaker Jamil Ahmed in the absence of Speaker Wazir Baig.

Opposition leader Bashir Ahmed said that the resolution on dividing G-B into three divisions for better administration has not been implemented despite the lapse of several months, adding that the government should respect the resolutions as they represent the public opinion.

The deputy speaker agreed with the opposition bench and asked Law Minister Wazir Shakil for clarification.

Shakil, who tabled the Local Bodies Act 2011, explained the salient features of the act, explaining that the region did not have laws in the past, due to which it was adopting laws from other provinces.

“The act has become inevitable after political reforms in the region,” said Shakil.

Deedar Ali, an independent lawmaker, raised an objection over the English transcript of the act, saying that it should be in Urdu for better understanding. The deputy speaker approved the suggestion and directed the minister to arrange a translated version in future.

Responding to a question, the education minister Dr Ali Madad Sher said that the teachers were being inducted in a transparent manner, adding that that the 25 illegal appointments of teachers in the past have been cancelled.

He said that the question paper for teachers’ appointments was the same for the entire region, which was unsealed in front of the media. He added that several teams of experts were deputed to check the answer sheets of candidates.

During the session, G-B Chief Minister Mehdi Shah informed that house that the posts advertised earlier would not be affected by the ban on appointments imposed by the federal government. He assured the house that the appointments would be made at all costs.

Earlier, Shah arranged a special gathering to offer prayers for the calamity hit people of Pakistan, especially the flood victims in Sindh.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2011.