Undeterred : K-P Assembly condemns attack on Shuja Khanzada

Says the house, people of province will continue to support security forces.

PESHAWAR:

Paying tribute to slain Punjab Home Minister Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly passed a resolution during Monday’s session to condemn the attack which claimed his life. They showed solidarity with the families of those who lost their lives in the suicide attack in Attock, Punjab.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) lawmaker Nighat Orakzai raised the issued on a point of order and then tabled a joint resolution with Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan. It was unanimously passed by the house.

Under the resolution, members appreciated Khanzada’s efforts to wipe out terrorism and hoped Punjab government would continue in the same stead. The resolution pressed the Centre to hold an immediate investigation into the terrorist attack and make its findings public. The MPAs made it clear to terrorists that the representatives of 30 million people in K-P stand united with security forces and those who sacrificed their lives for the country.

Legislation

The assembly session was initially chaired by Qaumi Watan Party MPA Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli as Speaker Asad Qaiser reached the session late. Qaiser took over later and overlooked proceedings till they were adjourned.

The treasury benches introduced six legislative bills in the house related to LG, the Ehtesab Commission, Information and Technology Board and medical teaching institutions reforms.

The government has closed the doors for newly-elected LG councillors to change their party affiliations on all the three tiers of the setup. It also presented the K-P Local Government (Third Amendment) Bill 2015 for consideration, which was passed without any amendments. However, the rushed manner of its passing generated heated remarks from the opposition benches.



Orakzai, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Munawar Khan and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha raised objections which were addressed by Inayatullah and Asad Qaiser.

The bill, tabled on August 11, defined grounds for disqualification of the councillor who defects to another party. It also allowed the provincial government powers to outsource a function assigned to the city district governments, district governments and tehsil/town municipal administrations. The task can be given to another company or firm. Chief Minister Pervez Khattak assured the opposition the government would take its members on board for all legislation.

Illegal appointments

Matters also heated up when the issue of illegal appointments at Swat University came up for discussion. Minister for Higher Education Mushtaq Ghani informed the house that an enquiry committee comprising MPAs went to the varsity, but the institute’s vice-chancellor had taken a stay order from the court and refused to share information on illegal appointments. “Our universities legislation doesn’t apply to the Malakand Division.” Ghani said. “We have sent a summary to Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan asking for the removal of the VC, but he has not yet approved or signed it.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2015.