KP Assembly slams Trump for recognising Golan Heights as Israeli territory

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday passed a resolution against US President Donald Trump for recognising Golan Heights as Israel's territory and condemned the move as a violation of international rules and norms.

Moved by Nighat Orakzai of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and signed by chief minister's advisor Karim Khan, Khushdil Khan of the Awami National Party (ANP) and Ahmad Karim Kundi of the PPP, the joint resolution read: "Pakistan strongly condemns the US recognition of Syria Golan Heights as Israeli territory and it's a serious blow to the rule of law, international norms and Pakistan shares the international outrage and concern of its impact on the region."

Earlier, speaking on a point of order, Nighat Orakzai said that the US recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory was open aggression against Syria and also a warning to other Muslim states.

Condemning the move, Nighat Orakzai said that she did not recognise the US as a superpower, as only Allah Almighty is the superpower. Fazle Shakoor, a panel of chairmen, who presided over the session, asked to bring a resolution when other members also expressed the desire to speak on the issue.

Nighat Orakzai also raised the issue of the suicide of a teenage boy in Battagram and two other cases in Abbottabad and Haripur. She demanded the constitution of a parliamentary committee to investigate the cases. The PPP lawmaker said it was sad that two men from Battagram sexually abused a teenage boy and then made a video of the inhuman act. They used to blackmail the boy which led the victim to commit suicide.

Two other inhuman incidents occurred in Abbottabad and Haripur, she said and demanded the formation of a parliamentary committee on child abuse. Taj Muhammad Khan of the PTI also supported the demand and confirmed the Battagram incident, saying that though the police have arrested two accused, some other people may also be involved, that's why the formation of the parliamentary committee is needed to probe the incident.

Minister for Mines and Minerals Dr Amjad Ali Khan supported the demand for the constitution of the committee to probe such incidents. The chair kept pending for Monday a resolution of ANP member from Lower Dir Bahadur Khan about blocked Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) and asked the mover to sit with Minister Dr Amjad Ali Khan and decide whether a parliamentary committee should be constituted to take up the matter with federal authorities.

In his resolution, Bahadur Khan complained that the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) had blocked thousands of ID cards of the people of Dir, especially in his constituency, while the numbers of blocked cards in the province ran in lakhs.

People of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were faced with serious problems due to ID cards' blockade and the issue be taken seriously, he added. Dr Amjad agreed with the issue and said CNICs' blockade was really a key issue in the province. He said though the prime minister had announced unblocking the ID cards of residents of Waziristan, the government has no objection if the members want a parliamentary committee to take up the issue with the federal government.

Giving ruling on a complaint from Shagufta Malik of the ANP about government officers' misbehaviour with complainants, the speaker asked the government to advise officers to entertain people cordially.

Shagufta said senior officers have kept personal assistants in their offices who are not allowing people to meet the officers. She said visitors were often kept waiting for hours while the Home Department had displayed a notice inscribed with: "Public entry is not allowed."

The chair ruled that action should be taken on the complaint of Khushdil Khan regarding the transfer of a C&W sub-divisional officer (SDO) who was transferred and replaced by a sub-engineer.

He complained many junior officers in the department have been posted against senior posts in own pay scale, which exposed the PTI's claims of good governance. Earlier, Fazle Shakoor Khan ruled delaying Friday's agenda till Monday due to absence most of the members. He had to adjourn the session for half an hour when the issue of the quorum was pointed out at the beginning of the session.