KP Assembly: PTI MPA flays own govt for plan to sell varsities land

PESHAWAR: A member from the treasury benches in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly came down hard on his party provincial government for the planned selling of hundreds of acres of land acquired for Bacha Khan Greater Education Complex in Mardan and said that such steps would adversely affect students and education system in the province.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member Provincial Assembly Tariq Mehmood from Mardan through a call attention notice said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had announced the sale of the lands of public universities in Mardan which, he feared, would affect education system in the district.

The lawmaker from the ruling party said the chief minister during his visits to different cities and districts of the province had announced development schemes and mega projects but unfortunately during his visit to Mardan, he announced to sell hundreds acres of lands acquired for the Mardan Greater Education Complex.

“The people of Mardan had voted for Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the last general elections where the PTI had won all National Assembly and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seats,” he said and added that the KP government had a step-motherly attitude towards the people of Mardan.

The PTI MPA accused the chief minister of scrapping megaprojects like the Culture Centre and Museum in Mardan City. He said that some of the provincial ministers were obsessed with power while secretaries were avoiding public representatives in their offices.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi said that about 4800 kanals land was purchased for the Mardan Greater Education Complex in 2009 at a price which he said was not suitable at that time.

“If the then government had purchased the land at a suitable price, then the land owners would have not made an issue out of it,” he said and added that the then government should have utilized the land of the Auqaf department for the purpose.

Meanwhile, ruling party MPAs from Mohmand and Bajaur districts also opposed amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act, saying that under the proposed law, the registered companies would get a license of lease for mines and minerals in the merged districts.

PTI MPA Mehboob Sher from Mohmand and Anwarzeb from Bajaur opposed the amendments to the bill. The opposition benches also opposed the proposed amendments and said that it would close the door for local firms and people to get licenses/leases for mines and minerals in their areas. The proposed legislation was deferred for discussion and consultation.