Assembly session: Opposition creates furor over absence of ministers
Criticises government for delaying notification of standing committees.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. PHOTO: AFP
PESHAWAR:
Members of the opposition in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly on Wednesday lashed out at what they termed the ‘constant absence’ of ministers during proceedings.
The assembly session started an hour later than the scheduled time, but was still short of the required quorum. After this was pointed out, Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi, who was chairing the session, directed the house bells be rung for two minutes.
During the question hour later, only four ministers occupied the treasury benches – three of them from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), while only Yousaf Ayub Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was present.
As a result, the questions could not be put forward to the concerned ministers, which infuriated the opposition lawmakers.
On a point of order, Awami National Party’s (ANP) Ahmed Khan Bahadur criticised the continued absence of ministers. Bahadur said ministers failed to show up for proceedings even though the session started an hour later and asked the speaker to ensure their presence. The deputy speaker concurred with Bahadur and said the ministers must ensure their presence during proceedings.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl lawmaker Mufti Syed Janan also backed Bahadur, saying ministers have been given cars and houses by the government and must ensure attendance.
Janan claimed the situation they were experiencing in just three months of the PTI-led government had been revealed after four years of the ANP-Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government. He said the government had a long way to go and ministers have to answer questions about their respective departments.
Senior minister Sirajul Haq tried to pacify the angry lawmakers, saying the government appreciated their concern. He added ministers had to cope with a huge number of people at their offices, but still try to attend proceedings which he agreed was pertinent.
Shah Hussain Khan and ANP’s parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak, however, were not satisfied with the response.
Shah said only a few ministers sit at their offices and questioned why the 32 parliamentary secretaries appointed by the government were not attending to their duties.
Babak said all parliamentary leaders agree to the assembly schedule beforehand. He added the government was asking officials and police to mend their ways, but its own ministers were not attending assembly sessions to answer questions related to their departments.
Sirajul Haq in response said some of the parliamentary secretaries had not yet been notified and assured their presence would be ensured in the future.
Standing committees
Speaking on another point of order, Babak criticised the government for delaying the notification of standing committees. He said the government was not interested in house proceedings as questions were regularly referred to committees, which were nonexistent.
Following the appointment of 32 parliamentary secretaries besides ministers, advisers and special assistants, there were few members left to head standing committees, pointed out Babak. Opposition lawmakers were getting most of the committee chairperson seats, which was why the government was delaying notification, claimed the ANP leader.
He proposed the government remove some parliamentary secretaries and appoint them as head of standing committees instead.
Stranded trucks
JUI-F lawmaker Maulvi Asmatullah through an adjournment motion pointed out the forest department has detained at least 65 trucks carrying timber from Gilgit-Baltistan at Mansehra.
He said these truckers had to pay at least Rs5,000, questioning why the trucks were not stopped at Kohistan, Battagram and Shangla if they were carrying illegal timber. He said the chief minster’s inspection team has held an inquiry into the incidents and its recommendations should be followed. The session was later prorogued indefinitely.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 19th, 2013.
Members of the opposition in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly on Wednesday lashed out at what they termed the ‘constant absence’ of ministers during proceedings.
The assembly session started an hour later than the scheduled time, but was still short of the required quorum. After this was pointed out, Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi, who was chairing the session, directed the house bells be rung for two minutes.
During the question hour later, only four ministers occupied the treasury benches – three of them from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), while only Yousaf Ayub Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was present.
As a result, the questions could not be put forward to the concerned ministers, which infuriated the opposition lawmakers.
On a point of order, Awami National Party’s (ANP) Ahmed Khan Bahadur criticised the continued absence of ministers. Bahadur said ministers failed to show up for proceedings even though the session started an hour later and asked the speaker to ensure their presence. The deputy speaker concurred with Bahadur and said the ministers must ensure their presence during proceedings.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl lawmaker Mufti Syed Janan also backed Bahadur, saying ministers have been given cars and houses by the government and must ensure attendance.
Janan claimed the situation they were experiencing in just three months of the PTI-led government had been revealed after four years of the ANP-Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government. He said the government had a long way to go and ministers have to answer questions about their respective departments.
Senior minister Sirajul Haq tried to pacify the angry lawmakers, saying the government appreciated their concern. He added ministers had to cope with a huge number of people at their offices, but still try to attend proceedings which he agreed was pertinent.
Shah Hussain Khan and ANP’s parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak, however, were not satisfied with the response.
Shah said only a few ministers sit at their offices and questioned why the 32 parliamentary secretaries appointed by the government were not attending to their duties.
Babak said all parliamentary leaders agree to the assembly schedule beforehand. He added the government was asking officials and police to mend their ways, but its own ministers were not attending assembly sessions to answer questions related to their departments.
Sirajul Haq in response said some of the parliamentary secretaries had not yet been notified and assured their presence would be ensured in the future.
Standing committees
Speaking on another point of order, Babak criticised the government for delaying the notification of standing committees. He said the government was not interested in house proceedings as questions were regularly referred to committees, which were nonexistent.
Following the appointment of 32 parliamentary secretaries besides ministers, advisers and special assistants, there were few members left to head standing committees, pointed out Babak. Opposition lawmakers were getting most of the committee chairperson seats, which was why the government was delaying notification, claimed the ANP leader.
He proposed the government remove some parliamentary secretaries and appoint them as head of standing committees instead.
Stranded trucks
JUI-F lawmaker Maulvi Asmatullah through an adjournment motion pointed out the forest department has detained at least 65 trucks carrying timber from Gilgit-Baltistan at Mansehra.
He said these truckers had to pay at least Rs5,000, questioning why the trucks were not stopped at Kohistan, Battagram and Shangla if they were carrying illegal timber. He said the chief minster’s inspection team has held an inquiry into the incidents and its recommendations should be followed. The session was later prorogued indefinitely.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 19th, 2013.