The Speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly with the consent of the House on Friday referred two bills -The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission Bill, 2013 and The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Bill, 2013 to select committee comprising leaders of all parliamentary leaders in the house. The committee would discuss and include amendments proposed by the members.
The joint opposition in KP Assembly staged walkout from proceedings protesting against the absence of Education Minister and speaking of the Provincial Minister for Zakat, Usher, Habib-ur-Rehman on behalf of education minister, who was not present in the house. Awami National Party (ANP) parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak, who was speaking in support of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Fazl Ghafoor's call attention notice regarding on going alleged posting and transfers in education department in district Bunir, said they would not sit in the House if Habib-ur-Rehman was given the floor. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) affiliated Habib-ur-Rehman said since the entire cabinet was collectively responsible and he was already authorised to give response on the day's agenda but Sardar Hussain Babak left the House followed by the legislators from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), JUI-F, ANP and Pakistan People's Party (PPP). They however ended the boycott when Provincial Minister Israrullah Gandapur, Shah Farman and Yousuf Ayub persuaded. He thanked the opposition for ending protest asking the chair to defer the matter till the arrival of concerned minister. Habib-ur-Rehman, waving a paper, said it was a charge sheet against former education minister Sardar Babak which would be presented at a proper time.
JI's Mohammad Ali observed that Malgari Ustazan were emotionally blackmailing leaders saying his party was not doing politics for posting and transfer but for legislation and welfare of people. Minister for Law Israrullah Gandapur pointed out such debates could not be made on call attention notice and when they brought back opposition in the house, the treasury benches should demonstrate some flexibility. It was astonishing to note that Acting Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi asked the mover of the call attention notice, Fazal Ghafoor as to whether he had already withdrawn it? Ignoring his earlier announcement, the mover also supported the minister's contention to defer his motion.
The legislators, however, argued that such debates could not be held on call attention notice. According to them, call attention could neither be withdrawn nor it could be deferred but all the cabinet ministers and legal experts pointed out such blunders on the floor of the House. "A member can raise a problem only to divert government's attention but others members could not deliver speeches on it after getting brief response from cabinet members," said an old parliamentarian ridiculing ongoing illegal debates in the house.
The women legislators on treasury and opposition benches also walked out from proceedings to pressurise the government for getting equal developmental funds like those of their male colleagues. PML-N's Sobia Shahid pointed out that the government had allocated funds to elected 99 members but ignored the women, suggesting the government to treat them equally. They ended the boycott when Minister for Health Shaukat Yousufzai persuaded.
PTI's Mehmud Jan walked out protesting against the chair for not giving him time to speak but when his colleague persuaded him and given the floor said that Warsak dam was situated in his constituency but still the peoples were bearing 20 hours loadshedding. Terming it injustices with the people, he said the funds should be spent on PK-7 otherwise the people would be justified to get illegal electricity connections.
