MPA wants more time to discuss minorities’ issues on KP Assembly floor

PESHAWAR: Minority Member Provincial Assembly Fredrick Azeem said on Tuesday the minority representatives hardly get any opportunity during the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly sessions to present own issues.

He was speaking at a meeting on the issues of minorities chaired by Assembly Deputy Speaker Dr Meher Taj Roghani here at her chamber. The meeting was held under the auspices of PEAD Foundation. Besides, minority MPAs Fredrick Azeem Ghauri and Askar Pervez, Executive Director, PEAD Foundation, Samina Imtiaz, Senior Coordinator, Shagufta Gul, Assembly Deputy Secretary, Hidayatullah, Sikh community leader, Radesh Singh Toni, Agustin Jacab, district councilors Dr. Humaira and Dr. Asiya were also present on the occasion.

Asker Perwaiz said though he is an equal member of the assembly, yet he faces discrimination in the assembly and has never been given a chance to speak on a point of order. He also shared that due to complicated rules of business and procedures, the real issues of minorities do not get highlighted.

Asker Perwaiz said that though he has prepared two bills for rights of minorities yet he has not been able to date to present these in the assembly since he never could get a chance to speak in the assembly.

Fredrik Azeem said that he had moved a bill for more seats of minorities in professional colleges but it was still pending. He demanded that there should be more number of seats for minorities in professional colleges, particularly medical and engineering universities.

He added that the issue of Minority Education Commission needed to be addressed urgently as a bill has already been presented in the assembly. He demanded that the commission should be formed to deal with the issues of education policies system.

Speaking on the occasion, Assembly Deputy Speaker Assembly, Dr. Meher Taj Roghani said that minorities are playing very important role in the national development and they have rendered precious services for the country at every level.

She clarified that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led provincial government is taking a keen interest in the resolution of the issues faced by the minority communities and for this purpose it had also taken very crucial steps.

The deputy speaker urged the minority legislators to include their issues on the agenda of the assembly as per evolved procedure of the House so they could find full opportunity to take them up on the floor of the provincial assembly.