KP Assembly defers bill on narcotics

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Wednesday deferred a bill empowering the Excise and Taxation Department to control all substances of narcotics in the province as the treasury benches proposed addition of some drugs and chemicals to the list of narcotic substance.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Control of Narcotic Substances Bill 2017 was tabled by Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation Mian Jamshiduddin Kakakhel in the House but Speaker Asad Qaiser apparently wanted to refer it to the Select Committee.

If passed, the bill would curtail the power of the police and Anti-Narcotic Forces about seizure of any drugs, and arrest and prosecution of any offence related to narcotics.

Even Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, who was present in the House, agreed to an amendment proposed by Pakistan People’s Party lawmaker Fakhar Azam Wazir about punishment to the accused involved in the trafficking, selling or consuming narcotics, but the speaker adjourned the session for tea. After the break, Minister Shah Farman requested the chair to defer the bill for addition of some substances to the narcotics list. “We want to add the ice, medicines and some chemicals that are being used as narcotics, especially by youth in the province,” the minister added.

PPP MPA Fakhar Azam Wazir, who had proposed some amendments to the bill, told the media persons after the assembly session that the bill would empower the Excise and Taxation Department to control all kinds of narcotics in the province whereas the Anti-Narcotics Force powers would be confined to airports and dry ports.

Under the proposed bill, the provincial government would recruit hundreds of people in the Excise and Taxation Department to control the narcotics substances and its business in the province.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly also passed the Peshawar Development Authority Bill, 2017; the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Private Partnership Bill and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Health (Surveillance and Response) Bill, 2017.

Earlier, the opposition members criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government for violating merit in the postings and transfers of teachers and other staff in the Elementary Education Department.

Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl MPAs Mufti Fazl Ghafoor, Mufti Syed Janan and Najma Shaheen questioned the recruitment of new teachers under the National Testing Service (NTS). They claimed that they could produce solid proofs of irregularities in the Education Department.

As Education Minister Mohammad Atif Khan was not present in the House, Minister Shah Farman rejected the allegations of the opposition members and said that 40,000 new teachers were appointed through NTS and 15,000 more would be recruited in the Education Department. The session was adjourned till Friday evening.