PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Pervez Khattak said on Friday that WAPDA employees were involved in electricity theft, saying time has come to get rid of this mafia.
Speaking on the Floor of the House, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, while terming Wapda as cancer sought the opposition’s cooperation to rid the people from the ongoing unjustified loadshedding, corruption and injustices of the inefficient officials in this department.
Khattak said that it was possible but needs collective efforts. He said it was their collectively responsibility to remove the existing problems in WAPDA. He held the WAPDA officials responsible for all the problems, saying electricity theft was not possible without the support of its own officials. He asked the members to pinpoint the irregularities in their respective areas for which he had already established complaints cells and extended government’s cooperation to overcome the problems, which had made the lives of people miserable.
Referring to the involvement of WAPDA in corruption in Nowshera, the chief minister said that the FIA investigating the cases held the WAPDA officials responsible and posed a question as to why XEN disconnect electricity supply to various areas.
The chief minister vowed to end on going political interference in education department recalling that he was also in the previous governments but no policy was implemented. He said they had promised with the people to impart best education and for this purpose they would make legislation in next session. He said the teachers could only get promotion and facilities on the basis of their results.
Pervez Khattak said none of the elected members had admitted their children in government’s school and why they should be given the right of posting and transfers. Under the prevalent education system, the son of the poor could not get higher education during the last 60 years.
Similarly he said billions of rupees funds had been given by DFID for the promotion of education but the government’s schools were still without furniture, mat and basic necessities. The same is the case with teachers. They are lacking basic training. He said they would pass bills in next session so that the children of poor could also become doctors, engineers etc like those of the effluents. The CM said he was equally responsible for the existing problems saying the posting and transfers of teachers were earning bad name for the govt and elected representatives and they would have to stop this practices and dramas for better future of their children.
Earlier, the Provincial Minister for Information Shah Farman, ANP’s Sardar Hussain Babak, PPP’s Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha, expressed concern over the constant statement of the federal minister for WAPDA Abid Sher Ali who is projecting consumers in their province as thieves. Minister Shah Farman said the federal minister was not responding his letters and did not meet him even in Islamabad. Similarly none of the KPK government’s representatives were invited in the briefing and conferences. He said the FIA was made active but none of provincial government department was given any authority. He said his government was ready for getting responsibilities with authority. He said the XENs were repairing faulty transformers in their private workshops, saying the federal government knew as to who were selling electricity in PESCO.
Being a minister, he had protested in PESCO and condemned Abid Sher Ali statements against the people of KPK. Sardar Hussain Babak observed the provincial ministers instead of leading protests, should sit together with federal government to solve the problems. He said no one could support thieves but the provincial government should fulfil its responsibility.
At one stage, joint opposition in KPK Assembly staged walk out from proceedings, when Provincial Minister for Ushar and Zakat Habibur Rehman wanted to respond questions raised by them against schools and elementary education, as education minister was not present in the house. ANP’s Sardar Hussain Babak backed JUI-F Fazal Ghafoor’s call attention notice through which he alleged posting and transfers in education department in district Buner, said they would not sit in the house if Habibur Rehman was given the floor on behalf of education minister.
The JI’s Minister Habibur Rehman who also hails from Buner, said since the entire cabinet was collectively responsible to reply. In protest, Sardar Babak left the house followed by the legislators PML-N, JUI-F, ANP and PPP.
However, they ended the boycott when provincial minister Israrullah Gandapur Shah Farman and Yousaf Ayub persuaded. The women legislators from treasury and opposition benches also walked out to pressurise the government for getting equal developmental funds like those of their male colleagues.
The PML-N 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. She said that PTI has promised to ensure equality. JUI-F’s Mufti Janan, ANP’s Sardar Babak, PML-N Sardar Nalota and PPP’s Mohammad Ali Shah in their speeches extended full support to the women lawmakers on the matter.
