File photo of CM Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak and PTI Chairman Imran Khan. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
The appointments are widely seen as an insurance against the collapse of the coalition government. It was feared that PTI MPAs who were not given any posts may form a forward bloc and topple the provincial government with a vote of no-confidence against the chief minister. While the PTI government insists that these secretaries are not part of the cabinet, opposition groups and lawyers have condemned the government for what they claim is the “largest cabinet in the history of K-P”. A legal threat also looms over the government as the decision may be challenged by the Awami National Party in the Peshawar High Court.
The chief minister’s executive order hurts the spirit of the Eighteenth Amendment, which requires that a cabinet must not exceed 11 per cent of the total strength of the assembly. In the case of K-P, the cabinet should not exceed 15 members, including the chief minister. The ceiling on the size of the cabinet intended to reduce the burden of an army of ministers on the exchequer. While the government has yet to decide on what financial perks these secretaries will be given, by awarding all its lawmakers a government post, K-P government will unnecessarily strain resources. It is indeed disheartening to see a party on which hundreds of thousands of people had pinned their hopes for a better future, indulge its members in this manner, and we hope that this will be taken note of and set right and that this in no way becomes an indication of how the PTI-led government intends to conduct itself.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (20)
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everyone knows that the 32 ministers will not be given any perks. even ETknew about it, but still this article was posted deliberaty. so ptI ppl dont waste time, getback to work on kpk, no time to waste.
imran khan zindabad
@Waseem:
What about the corruption of Rs. 480 million? I have yet to hear any print or electronic media worth its salt reporting anything malafide in this regard. Most importantly, no competent court of law has not taken this matter up anywhere. Suffice to say that this so called scandal is a product of your own delusional mind and nothing else.
Nandipur scandal, high inflation, and increase in power tariff are just one of the few gifts which were left behind by the scions of Bhutto against whom his Holy Father IK never bothered to say anything nor did he challenge these episodes of corruption in any court of law. If such acts of vice and misdeeds are being attributed to PML-N, what's stopping PTI and IK to drag the former through litigation in the Supreme Court? Oh I get it, after the "Sharamnaak" gig in the Supreme Court and the acrimony of the recount in PP150, IK does not have the spine to challenge anything anywhere.
Peace!
@Adnan Siddiqi: Then again all in the family there to.
@Adnan Siddiqi: Yes and what about the corruption in Rs. 480 billions given to IPPs and the Hybrid Car Scandal or the scandal of Nandipur. Increase in power tariffs and high inflation given as a gift by the experienced ones. Never heard you talking about them Adnan.
Whats wrong in appointing parliamentary secretaries? Its actually good for the MPAs themselves as they would learn the art of policy making etc. What else do you want them to do? Do repair works of sewerage systems etc? It is part of their training as most of them have made it to the assemblies for the first time. And IK have said it categorically that no public money would be spent on them.
Mind if I ask as to what extent such a gigantic cabinet has proved effective against the Dengue menace which claimed many lives in Swat?
@Furqan:
So in other words if tomorrow the PML-N Government in the center and in Punjab decides to appoint each and every legislator belonging to its party on a cabinet and parliamentary post, you would not have a problem?
Come to think of it, if discharging duties without proper remuneration is such a noble deed - why did PTI and IK had the problem with Shahbaz Sharif who was alleged to have kept a number of ministries all to himself?
@Adnan
Ignorance is a bliss. Isn't it? MPAs are entitled to TA/DA right from they day they are sworn in as provincial legislators. One can see that things are clear and simple, but only if one is not blindfold by intense bias.
Ohhhhhh yeah right and we are supposed to believe PTI leadership and the provisional government that such a behemoth of a cabinet would not be any burden on the state treasury?!! They won't get any staff for assistance, nor will they get fuel allowance or TA/DA when visiting different cities and towns in KPK - in short, an MPA would either bear all these expense out of his/her own pocket or would be reimbursed from the chanda coffer of PTI/SKMH.
How charming! This has to be a face palm moment for the troll brigade. Had such an inane argument been out forth by the provisional governments in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan; the sheep herd clan would have been crying foul on top of its lungs.
It's really nice to see too much PTI spokesmen on social media.TIME to do some real work
How does their appointments make them a strain on resources when time and again PTI clarified that they will get nothing extra other then what they get as MPA's. They will only assist ministers and in case a minister is not available, will answer the questions related to their department in the parliament.
If we actually stop and read between the lines, we might see that these parliamentary secretaries have not been given any financial perks or salaries. Now how does their appointment make them a strain on resources is beyond explanation.
"hundreds of thousands of people" More like millions. Get the facts straight.
it has already been clarified so many times none of the mpas are going to get any additional perks. Et needs to get their facts straight.
For the enlightenment of the ET editorialist: None of the 32 Parliamentary Secretaries are being given even a single rupee or any other privilege or perk for the duties they have been assigned, which is to work under provincial ministers. They are MPAs and receiving from the government kitty what they are supposed to get in virtue of being the elected members of the provincial assembly.
Their primary role is to assist ministers and review the implementation of policies set by the government. PTI has gone a step further by establishing several working group consisting of civil society members, politicians and NGOs to oversee government policies and their implementation, as well as to put forward ideas to improve working of the government. Again, none of them is paid.
PS: Next time please first get your facts right before you set your fingers on your keyboard.
Never saw a word of praise in tribune for all the excellent work carried out by PTI in KPK.
Whether for involvement of parliamentarians in govt work or for other reasons, one shouldn't have a problem unless it causes strain on govt resources. KP govt has clarified that these secretaries will not be given any salaries or perks. As for the 18th amendment provisions of 11% cabinet, seems to be unfair for provinces having smaller assemblies.
In any case, KP gov is drastically cutting down expenses of all departments as well as the CM sectretariat simulatenously....including unnecessary expenses e.g. on govt rest houses. VIP protocols have been abolished as well except for minimum security. These measures are all in line with the PTI manifesto.
haha!
Naya Pakistan
A fine example of "lean"government!!!!!!!!!!!!