Treasury benches disinterest: KP Assembly session adjourned for lack of quorum

PESHAWAR: Lack of interest on the part of treasury benches in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly about prevailing turmoil in the province could be judged from the fact that the provincial assembly could not complete its debates on law and order on Tuesday.

The provincial assembly session was adjourned twice on Tuesday for lack of quorum where general debate on law and order, particularly operation in Bajaur was on the agenda items.

Chaired by a panel of chairmen and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Idrees Khattak, the provincial assembly session started its business beyond its scheduled time where the lawmakers were asked to continue debate on law and order in the province.

However, the ruling party MPAs criticized the election on reserved seats instead of talking about prevailing unrest and the security situation in Bajaur and other parts of the province.

PTI MPAs Tariq Aryani, Ali Shah, and Suhail Afridi participated in the general debate on law and order in the province.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Farah Khan said that the PTI government and the ruling party MPAs in the provincial assembly were not serious about the deteriorating law and order situation in the province. She said the provincial government had lost its writ in almost all tribal districts.

Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Aftab Alam in his speech avoided talking about the main agenda and said that the opposition benches had got reserved seats for women and minorities by undemocratic means and tactics.

His remarks angered the opposition benches and one of the members pointed out the lack of quorum.When counted, there were only 29 members in the 145-members House and the session was adjourned till Maghrib (evening) prayers.After the prayers when the session resumed, the required number of the lawmakers was not present on the assembly floor and the session was adjourned till August 15, Friday.