JI, JUI-F lock horns over PA body top slot
June 18, 2006
PESHAWAR: Two major Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) component parties have locked horns over the chairmanship of an NWFP Assembly standing committee and both want to have their MPA in the recently vacated office.
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) legislators have constituted a three-member committee with two provincial ministers, Malik Zafar Azam and Hafiz Akhtar Ali, along with a female lawmaker, Naeema Kishwar, as its members to take up the issue before the chief minister. The body, however, is yet to meet and discuss the matter.
“We haven’t held any meeting so far due to various engagements but the matter is likely to be discussed in parliamentary party meeting during the budget session,” a member of the committee, Naeem Kishwar, said when asked about any progress on the issue.
NWFP Assembly Speaker Bakht Jahan Advocate had appointed Muzaffar Said, a Jamat-e-Islami (JI) MPA from Dir, as new head of the Privileges Committee of the Provincial Assembly after the former Deputy Speaker, Ikramullah Shahid, vacated the office.
JUI-F, the major component of the ruling MMA, disagreed with the decision, claiming its right over the position for having more number of MPAs in the House. Out of the total 29 NWFP Assembly Standing Committees, the JUI-F MPAs were already heading seven bodies while before Muzaffar Said the JI had six MPAs as heads of different Provincial Assembly Standing Committees. Smaller MMA components as well as opposition and independent legislators also have their MPAs as chairmen of the rest of the 15 committees.
From the JUI-F side, MPA Abdul Majid Khan is heading the NWFP Standing Committee on Auqaf, Haj and Religious Affairs.
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) legislators have constituted a three-member committee with two provincial ministers, Malik Zafar Azam and Hafiz Akhtar Ali, along with a female lawmaker, Naeema Kishwar, as its members to take up the issue before the chief minister. The body, however, is yet to meet and discuss the matter.
“We haven’t held any meeting so far due to various engagements but the matter is likely to be discussed in parliamentary party meeting during the budget session,” a member of the committee, Naeem Kishwar, said when asked about any progress on the issue.
NWFP Assembly Speaker Bakht Jahan Advocate had appointed Muzaffar Said, a Jamat-e-Islami (JI) MPA from Dir, as new head of the Privileges Committee of the Provincial Assembly after the former Deputy Speaker, Ikramullah Shahid, vacated the office.
JUI-F, the major component of the ruling MMA, disagreed with the decision, claiming its right over the position for having more number of MPAs in the House. Out of the total 29 NWFP Assembly Standing Committees, the JUI-F MPAs were already heading seven bodies while before Muzaffar Said the JI had six MPAs as heads of different Provincial Assembly Standing Committees. Smaller MMA components as well as opposition and independent legislators also have their MPAs as chairmen of the rest of the 15 committees.
From the JUI-F side, MPA Abdul Majid Khan is heading the NWFP Standing Committee on Auqaf, Haj and Religious Affairs.
