Lack of quorum: Opposition walks out over allocation of funds

JUI-F lawmaker questions why LG minister has 25% of dept funds at his disposal.

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was adjourned on Tuesday due to a lack of quorum following opposition lawmakers’ walkout from the house in protest against the local government (LG) minister’s share in LG funds.

JUI-F lawmaker Munawar Khan raised the issue after he was given the floor to speak on an adjournment motion regarding the blocking of thousands of CNICs in the province by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Munawar told lawmakers that the LG minister had 25% of local government funds across the province at his disposal. “Under what law is he holding powers over these funds?” he questioned. Munawar threatened to stage a walkout from the house, but Speaker Asad Qaiser asked him to be patient.

However, a few minutes later, Munawar left in a huff, and other opposition members also followed him. PML-N lawmakers waited till the house discussed a calling attention motion from one of its lawmakers, after which they left as well.

In his defence

Taking the floor, Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan said when an elected local bodies’ system is not in place, the LG minister has sway over 25% funds while the district administrations in consultation with local communities utilise 75% of the department’s funds.

According to Inayatullah, the practice had been going on for several years and he would not give up his powers till the May 30 LG polls.

Speaker Qaiser then continued with the day’s agenda and did not depute treasury members to bring opposition members back. Following this, JUI-F lawmaker Uzma Khan came to the house and pointed out that there was a lack of quorum.

Ignoring her, the speaker tried to continue with the proceedings and asked Minister for Public Health Engineering Shah Farman to present two bills on the agenda before the house.

However, Uzma raised the quorum issue again, forcing Qaiser to conduct a head count which found 21 members in the house. The speaker directed that the bells be rung for three minutes, but the opposition lawmakers did not return. The session was then adjourned till April 10.

Privilege motions 

The failure of government departments to respond to questions submitted by lawmakers elicited a strong reaction from MPAs on both sides of the aisle.

The casual disregard on the part of the establishment and sports department infuriated lawmakers, ministers and the speaker alike, forcing the law minister to condemn the sports department for its failure to submit an answer to a member’s question.

JUI-F MPA from Torghar Zareen Gul had questioned the establishment department about postings and transfers in the provincial bureaucracy in the past six months. Rejecting figures presented by the department, Gul said it had failed to mention transfers of deputy commissioners, commissioners and administrative secretaries.

Speaker Qaiser said the department took five months to submit its answer and still did not provide complete details.

Moreover, another question moved by JUI-F’s Malik Noor Salim remained unanswered by the sports department. The speaker directed the lawmakers to submit privilege motions against both the establishment and sports departments for failing to reply to the house.

NADRA lambasted

Lawmakers also berated NADRA for blocking thousands of identity cards from the province. Qaumi Watan Party’s parliamentary leader Sikandar Sherpao raised the issue on an adjournment motion. LG minister Inayatullah asked the speaker to convert the motion into a resolution to be passed from the house.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2015.