K-P law, order dominates assembly

Lawmakers express concern over poor flood rehabilitation

Lawmakers in the K-P Assembly on Tuesday expressed concern over deteriorating law and order situation in the province, urging the provincial government to focus on security vital for peace and development.

They called for a united voice from the assembly, urging all political forces to set aside their differences and come together for the restoration of peace.

The Assembly session, held in Peshawar on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Muhammad Idrees.

Opening the debate on law and order, MPA Dawood Shah said that serious steps for peace were unavoidable by rising above politics. He supported MPA Ahmad Kundi's proposal to form a National Peace Jirga, saying there should be no delay in this noble cause.

Minority member Gaurpal Singh termed the flood relief efforts in Buner unsatisfactory and demanded business loans for the minority community.

MPA Shahida Waheed said that all political parties must come to a single platform to promote peace, while Mehboob Sher stated that wars do not solve problems. MPA Afshan Hussain stressed that peace required not just speeches but practical measures. Both the government and the opposition, she said, must get on the same page.

Paying tribute to the martyrs of the Pakistan Army, she said that the nation was safe today because of their sacrifices.

Former Law Minister Aftab Alam congratulated Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and expressed hope that he would lead the province towards better governance.

He expressed confidence in Chief Minister Sohail Afridi's leadership.

During Tuesday's session, both government and opposition members raised issues concerning their constituencies, expressing serious concern over the rehabilitation of flood victims, a poor state of educational institutions, lack of healthcare facilities, and the rising incidents of child abuse. They demanded urgent government action and effective legislation.

ANP's Shahida Waheed highlighted that on October 16, an eight-year-old girl was molested in Charsadda. Such crimes, she said, were increasing in K-P.

Despite the formation of committees, she noted, these crimes continued unabated in K-P, urging for practical measures to ensure the protection of girls.

MPA Aimen Jaleel voiced concern over the decline in education, saying that the province had fallen dangerously behind. Several universities were shutting down, government offices were locked, and students were avoiding admissions. Without immediate action, she warned, future generations would be plunged into the darkness of ignorance.

Bibi highlighted the lack of medical facilities in Chitral hospitals, while Fazal Hakeem questioned the non-payment of promised financial assistance to over 2,000 traders affected by floods in Swat.

He demanded that the compensation amount be increased and paid immediately. The House referred the case of the child abuse incident to the relevant committee.

Meanwhile, ANP's Khadija Bibi called for the restoration of damaged connecting bridges and roads in Chitral, urging the government to take immediate action in the affected areas. She said protest was everyone's right and demanded that FIRs filed against road protesters in Chitral be withdrawn.

She further said that the nameplate for the Deputy Commissioner's Office in North Waziristan still had not been installed and called for prompt compliance. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly granted Gujari language the parliamentary status. MPA Shahjahan said that her father Sardar Yousaf's long-held dream had finally come true.

Gujari, she noted, is centuries old and one of the major languages of the subcontinent.

Its official recognition, she said, proves that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is a beautiful blend of all linguistic communities.

She further demanded that Gujari be included in the educational curriculum so that the new generation remains connected to its linguistic identity.