After a long wait: First of 35 standing committees takes shape

Unanimously approves K-P Right to Public Services bill 2014.

PESHAWAR:

After much ado, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Wednesday announced the formation of standing committees.

The government had been under fire from the opposition over the delay in forming committees which are an essential part of the legislative business. The K-P Assembly has about 35 standing committees.

Qaiser informed the house that committees have been formed and announced members of the house committee on finance for approval by lawmakers.



Qaiser said committee members were previously nominated after consultation between the government and opposition. He said like it was done in the past every political party was represented according to its strength. The six members of the finance committee include Fazal Hakim, Shah Hussain Khan, Sardar Zahoor, Arbab Jehandad Khan, Ishtiaq Urmur and Ziaullah Bangash while Qaiser will be the committee’s chairperson.

DI Khan jailbreak

During question hour, opposition members criticised the government over its handling of the DI Khan jailbreak and demanded a debate on the issue.

The issue was raised by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz lawmaker Sardar Aurangzeb Nalhota who expressed dissatisfaction over the incident’s handling and said the government’s response gives the impression that terrorists have been given a free hand in the province.

Citing government figures, he said of the 253 prisoners who escaped, 23 were high-profile terrorists and 91 were arrested again, adding he was shocked that not a single terrorist was among those who were rearrested.

Adviser to the Chief Minister on Prisons Malik Qasim Khan Khattak, tried to provide an explanation, but Nalhota remained unsatisfied.

On the same note, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Mufti Syed Janan said the inquiry of the Bannu jailbreak, which occurred in the previous government’s tenure, is yet to fix responsibility. “Six months after the DI Khan incident, we are yet to know the truth,” Janan added. Khattak responded by saying an inquiry was under way and its findings would be shared with the house.

Moreover, the house passed the much-trumpeted K-P Right to Public Services Bill 2014 whereas the K-P Agricultural Pesticides bill, K-P Seeds bill, K-P Plant Breeders’ Rights bill and K-P Farm Services Centres bill were introduced in the house.

The assembly session will resume on Friday afternoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2014.