K-P Assembly seeks report on lapses

Lawmakers raise issue of absentee officials, flouted committee orders, stalled projects

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has requested a comprehensive report on the non-implementation of standing committee orders and the absence of government officials from assembly meetings.

The assembly session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Suriya Bibi, began with recitation of the Holy Quran and the national anthem, followed by lawmakers openly raising public issues.

At the outset, Finance Committee Chairman and ANP lawmaker Arbab Usman expressed serious reservations over the committee's performance.

The Deputy Speaker directed that a complete report be presented to the house so the relevant minister could take action.

Separately, the session passed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities (Amendment) Bill 2026, renaming the University of Engineering and Applied Sciences Swat to "The University of Computing Sciences and Information Technology Swat." Provincial Minister Fazal Shakoor presented the bill.

Similarly, three attention notices were submitted during the Assembly session on Monday, highlighting public issues ranging from the persistent encroachment of a Christian cemetery in Abbottabad to the lack of designated counters for senior citizens at a major kidney hospital and the suspension of work on two key road schemes.

Minority lawmaker Askar Parvez, while submitting an attention notice, expressed deep concern over the rising activities of an encroachment mafia at the Christian cemetery Thanda Mira in Abbottabad. He said the Christian community was facing severe difficulties in burying their dead due to continuous illegal occupations.

"A similar issue arose in Nothia, Peshawar where despite action, the cemetery was reoccupied within days," Parvez told the house. "Such activities are also ongoing in Kohat." He alleged that local officials were backing the encroachment mafia, warning that the situation posed a threat to law and order.

Provincial Information Adviser Shafiullah Jan, responding on behalf of the government, said the Thanda Mira cemetery was not formally notified nor part of the Auqaf Department's jurisdiction. However, he said letters had been sent to the district administration to take steps. Parvez clarified that Christian cemeteries are owned by the Church of Pakistan, not the Auqaf Department, making it the government's responsibility to ensure their protection.

Separately, PML-N MPA Amna Sardar submitted an attention notice regarding the Hayatabad Institute of Kidney Diseases (HIKD). She said that while a new OPD block was established months ago, no separate counter for senior citizens had been set up.

Shafiullah Jan responded that the health department had sent him photographs showing a dedicated senior citizen counter at the facility.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Dawood Shah raised the issue of two stalled ADP schemes for the fiscal year 2025-2026: the 36-km Sodal-Doda Road scheme and the 14-km Indus Highway to Sarghal via Kamardhand Road scheme. He demanded an explanation for why work had stopped on both projects.