PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly unanimously demanded the immediate abolition of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) and the transfer of the funds to provincial government so that it could reconstruct the earthquake affected areas through its own departments.
The unanimously drafted resolution carrying signatures of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha, Nagina Khan, Shah Hussain Khan, Wajeehuzaman Khan was moved by JUI-F’s Maulana Asmatullah Khan for which the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker had relaxed rules with the consent of the House.
Earlier, MPA Mushtaq Ghani recalled that more than 80,000 people were killed and another 600,000 displaced in the devastating earthquake in Hazara division on October 8, 2005. He deplored that the quack affectees were still living under open sky despite the passage of eight years.
The MPA, who hails from Abbottabad, observed that about 6000 schools collapsed in the earthquake while the partially damaged ones were destroyed by Erra and Provincial Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (PERRA). He said now 2500 schools were running under open sky.
Mushtaq Ghani said billions of rupees were given to Erra and PERRA, but nothing practical was done for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the affected areas. The joint opposition, including PML-N, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), walked out of the assembly in protest against the government’s failure to honour its commitment with them.
PML-N’s Wajeehuzaman said the ministers had assured them to convey their reservations to the chief minister about the appointment of chairmen District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC) in some districts where the opposition had majority.
He said an honest police officer was transferred due to political grounds forcing the dwellers in his district to take to the streets. He said another officer in Health department was transferred when he refused to recruit some undeserving candidates.
PTI lawmaker Javed Nasim, who has submitted an application to the speaker for having a separate seat, supported the mover, saying he had already suggested reforms and recommended honest officers in some departments.
He said the people were still waiting for getting justice. The opposition ended their boycott when Senior Minister Sikandar Sherpao and Minister for Communication and Works Yousaf Ayub Khan persuaded.
Earlier, Rashida Riffat referring towards the two bills in the House questioned as to how many of the 124 members understood the drafts of the bills written in English. Yousaf Ayub assured the House that the chief minister would discuss the appointment of DDAC chairmen with the parliamentary leaders during the current session. He said the police officer had been transferred under disciplinary action, but was promoted and all the government officials couldn’t be posted at the place of their choice.
The minister said the government appointed DDAC chairmen from opposition members in some districts, including Battagram and Torghar. He said women chairpersons had been appointed from their own respective districts, but the JUI-F and PPP MPAs were quick to challenge that Zarin Zia was living in Islamabad and didn’t know the situation on the ground. Zarin Zia said she represented PTI instead of her relatives.
The privilege motion of Azam Khan Durrani was referred to relevant committee. The mover complained that the government was spending development funds through a defeated person negating its claims of following merit.
