KP Assembly Treasury MPAs continue tirade against federal govt

PESHAWAR: Lawmakers from the ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have yet to conclude the debates they had started three weeks ago against what they called undemocratic steps by the federal government and undue interference of the military establishment in country politics.

The general debates about the current political situation continued on Monday at the assembly session with Speaker Babar Saleem Swati in the chair. Almost all members from treasury benches including provincial ministers, advisers and special assistants to the chief minister had spoken on the assembly floor since the session resumed on September 10 after Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur remained ‘missing’ for about six hours in Islamabad while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership including MNA Barrister Gohar and Sher Afzal Marwat were arrested on the National Assembly premises. However, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur did not turn to the provincial assembly where his party enjoys a two-thirds majority with 93 members.

On the other hand, the opposition benches including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan People’s Party had not only defended the federal government but also reminded the PTI-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to focus on deteriorating law and order, insecurity and issues related to provincial government in the province.

The majority of the ruling party members termed the arrest and detention of the founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and other leaders and parliamentarians as political victimization, witch-hunt and an act of revenge on the part of rulers at the Centre and the establishment.

The treasury benches also passed a resolution by the majority seeking the release of PTI leadership from jail and capital punishment for those army officers who had violated their constitutional and professional obligations.

The saga that started from the September 8 PTI public gathering in Sanjani, Islamabad, was repeated when the Punjab government created hurdles in the PTI rally in Lahore on September 22.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly witnessed the same debate on September 30 when the PTI lawmakers accused the Punjab government and police of stopping the PTI leaders and workers from attending the public gathering at the Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.

During the Monday session, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati declined to expunge the words spoken by a cabinet member against the Punjab police when a female member from the opposition benches asked the speaker to expunge the un-parliamentary and derogatory remarks used for the Punjab police on the assembly floor.

“I will not expunge the words as they are the public representatives and they have the right to express their feelings on the assembly floor,” the speaker stated. Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Housing Amjad Ali even said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had voted for them (PTI), not to carry out development schemes but to work for the release of Imran Khan.

Provincial Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan while responding to a PPP MPA speech said the present rulers used and exploited the Constitution for their vested interest. He said the Constitution was changed and amended for political purposes. The session was adjourned when lack of quorum was pointed out at about 8:15 pm.