Inefficient rulings: JUI-F criticised for being ‘ineffective opposition’

Day 2 of assembly session sees large number of ministers missing, divided opposition stages walkout.

PESHAWAR:

Poor attendance of cabinet ministers on the second day of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly’s current session, led to a walkout by the opposition on Tuesday. 

The move, however, resulted in a split in the opposition ranks of the assembly, in which the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) stood against the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F).

Both the PMLs said that they would discuss their options later and decide whether they would boycott the whole session or elect an opposition leader of their own. Currently, the opposition leader in the assembly belongs to the JUI-F.

During the question hour, a number of ministers were not present and the assembly speaker had to defer many questions due to the unavailability of concerned authorities, inviting criticism from opposition benches.



Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain placated the house by saying the government would try and ensure every minister’s presence during the assembly session.

However, a notice of PML-N lawmaker from Kohistan, Abdul Sattar Khan, was deferred again due to unavailability of Health Minister Syed Zahir Ali Shah, which once again angered the opposition.

Trying to diffuse the tension, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Bashir Ahmed Bilour said that he agreed with the opposition that it was necessary for all ministers to be present in the assembly.

Despite this, JUI-F lawmaker Mufti Kifayatullah criticised the treasury benches for their lack of interest in running the house and suggested that opposition benches stage a token walkout from the session.

Assembly Speaker Kiramatullah Khan Chagarmati asked the information minister to bring the opposition back to the house, but was only successful in calling back members of the JUI-F and the Qaumi Watan Party.

When PML-N and PML-Q lawmakers did not return, speaker Chagarmati joked that both parties had “gone to Islamabad”.



Following the announcement of the session having been adjourned till Friday afternoon, PML-Q parliamentary leader Qalandar Lodhi and PML-N lawmaker Javed Abbasi exited the lobby and lashed out at the JUI-F.

Abbasi termed the incident a ‘black day’ in parliamentary history since the majority of ministers were missing in the question hour of the session.

He blamed the JUI-F for being an ineffective opposition in the assembly and said that smaller opposition parties will give them a tough time for the remaining duration of their tenure.

Lodhi said that they are now considering to place their own opposition leader. He also criticised the session as being untimely as many people are busy with election campaigns right now.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2012.