Sparsely attended: Opposition slips resolution past treasury benches

Lawmakers criticise CM Khattak for using two residences.

PESHAWAR:

The government was confronted with an embarrassing situation in the provincial assembly after opposition members passed a resolution due to thin attendance in the treasury benches.

The resolution, moved by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) lawmaker Munawar Khan at the end of the question hour, asked the provincial government to restore the now-abolished project committees to further utilise development funds at the district level.

Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid instantly put the resolution up for a vote without getting an opinion from the treasury benches and the resolution was thus passed without opposition. However, after it was passed, Minister for Finance Sirajul Haq opposed the resolution saying it entails financial implications so the relevant department should be consulted before presenting it before the house. He told the speaker of the house that the move was against rules to which the speaker said the resolution was passed by a majority. Later, the deputy speaker asked the JUI-F lawmaker to present the resolution again after which it was passed by a majority again.

When one house ain’t good enough

Earlier, the assembly witnessed a ruckus after opposition members criticised Chief Minister (CM) Pervez Khattak for occupying two official houses.

Details submitted before the house during the question hour showed that two houses bearing numbers 6-A and 7 located at Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Road were allotted to the CM while house 1-A has been shown as the CM’s annex. Pakistan Peoples Party’s MPA Nighat Orakzai questioned whether the CM was entitled to two houses. She said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had claimed it would convert the Governor House and Chief Minister House into public parks and libraries.

However, Minister for Information Shah Farman said the CM House was a luxurious building and the chief minister was not using it as he was staying at the annex. He said the CM has another residence which is currently undergoing repairs.

Awami National Party’s parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak criticsed the government for not using the CM House and said its disuse will lead to disrepair. He said the decision to not use the CM House was a sentimental one and buildings should be used for the purposes for which they have been built. However, when Farman tried to explain the government’s position, many opposition lawmakers started to interrupt him.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Arbab Akbar Hayat pointed out that the finance minister and Adviser to the CM on Food Qalandar Khan Lodhi both have two houses registered in their names. However, Lodhi said he was not occupying any of the mentioned houses while Sirajul Haq said the government had allotted him a house but he was yet to move in and was living on rent. He added that the official house allocation system needs to be reviewed and the matter was later referred to the relevant committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2014.