In protest: Opposition parties walk out of K-P Assembly
Maulana Lutfur Rehman accuses provincial police of firing on JUI-F workers
PESHAWAR:
Opposition parties in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly staged a walkout from the house on Monday to protest the registration of cases against JUI-F workers in Karak and Kohat under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 for protesting on November 30.
The JUI-F had called for a country-wide strike that day to protest the murder of its leader Khalid Soomro in Sukkur, Sindh last month. Activists in all districts of K-P had taken to the streets in response and some had even clashed with PTI supporters heading to Islamabad.
The opposition’s walkout from the assembly came after Minister for Information Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani raised the issue of the brawl between PML-N and PTI supporters in Faisalabad, Punjab which led to the death of a PTI worker. On a point of order, Ghani said the PML-N should not have allowed its workers to take to the streets on the same day the PTI had announced its protest in Faisalabad, Punjab.
“A Faisalabad-like situation could have arisen in K-P on November 30 but PTI’s leaders did not let the situation get out of hand,” said Ghani. He added the Punjab government should have shown tolerance and has failed to meets its responsibilities properly.
“The current situation in the country could lead to a civil war,” said the information minister.
Responding to Ghani, opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman while regretting the PTI activist’s death said every citizen has the right to protest peacefully. Rehman accused the provincial police of opening fire on his party’s activists on December 5 in Pabbi, Nowshera and on November 30 in Karak and Kohat as well as registering cases against them under the anti-terrorism act.
Following his speech, Rehman led the opposition parties’ walkout out of the house.
The government’s side
In response to the opposition leader’s allegations, information minister Ghani said it was JUI-F workers who opened fire and not the police.
He also denied reports about a meeting between Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Mohammad Atif Khan also reiterated Ghani’s statement saying the PTI leadership showed restraint on November 30 and diverted its processions to thwart the possibility of a clash with JUI-F workers. Khan regretted the opposition’s walkout saying they preferred to walk out of the house instead of sympathising with PTI over their worker’s death in Faisalabad.
The minister also informed the house that the government had earmarked Rs50 million to give cash rewards to teachers across the province.
Incidentally, Speaker Asad Qaiser did not send any minister after the opposition lawmakers to bring them back and adjourned the session till January 2 after hurriedly going through the day’s agenda.
In the house
The K-P Protection of Communal Properties of Minorities Bill 2014, K-P Evacuee Trust Properties (management and disposal) Bill 2014 and K-P Pension Fund (amendment) Bill 2014 were passed by the house.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2014.
Opposition parties in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly staged a walkout from the house on Monday to protest the registration of cases against JUI-F workers in Karak and Kohat under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 for protesting on November 30.
The JUI-F had called for a country-wide strike that day to protest the murder of its leader Khalid Soomro in Sukkur, Sindh last month. Activists in all districts of K-P had taken to the streets in response and some had even clashed with PTI supporters heading to Islamabad.
The opposition’s walkout from the assembly came after Minister for Information Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani raised the issue of the brawl between PML-N and PTI supporters in Faisalabad, Punjab which led to the death of a PTI worker. On a point of order, Ghani said the PML-N should not have allowed its workers to take to the streets on the same day the PTI had announced its protest in Faisalabad, Punjab.
“A Faisalabad-like situation could have arisen in K-P on November 30 but PTI’s leaders did not let the situation get out of hand,” said Ghani. He added the Punjab government should have shown tolerance and has failed to meets its responsibilities properly.
“The current situation in the country could lead to a civil war,” said the information minister.
Responding to Ghani, opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman while regretting the PTI activist’s death said every citizen has the right to protest peacefully. Rehman accused the provincial police of opening fire on his party’s activists on December 5 in Pabbi, Nowshera and on November 30 in Karak and Kohat as well as registering cases against them under the anti-terrorism act.
Following his speech, Rehman led the opposition parties’ walkout out of the house.
The government’s side
In response to the opposition leader’s allegations, information minister Ghani said it was JUI-F workers who opened fire and not the police.
He also denied reports about a meeting between Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Mohammad Atif Khan also reiterated Ghani’s statement saying the PTI leadership showed restraint on November 30 and diverted its processions to thwart the possibility of a clash with JUI-F workers. Khan regretted the opposition’s walkout saying they preferred to walk out of the house instead of sympathising with PTI over their worker’s death in Faisalabad.
The minister also informed the house that the government had earmarked Rs50 million to give cash rewards to teachers across the province.
Incidentally, Speaker Asad Qaiser did not send any minister after the opposition lawmakers to bring them back and adjourned the session till January 2 after hurriedly going through the day’s agenda.
In the house
The K-P Protection of Communal Properties of Minorities Bill 2014, K-P Evacuee Trust Properties (management and disposal) Bill 2014 and K-P Pension Fund (amendment) Bill 2014 were passed by the house.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2014.