Absence of law minister felt during KP Assembly session

PESHAWAR: The absence of Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Sultan Mohammad Khan was deeply felt at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday as the provincial ministers and advisors to the chief minister could not properly respond to the matters raised on the floor by the opposition members.

There was only one minister and two special assistants to the chief minister when the assembly session began almost one and a half hours behind the schedule in the afternoon.

Minister for Food Qalandar Khan Lodhi, who was elected to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for fourth consecutive term, responded to a call-attention notice related to the recruitment of class-IV employees in government departments and agreed to the demand of opposition members that the recommendation of the MPA concerned should be considered in the recruitment of class-IV employees at district or constituency level.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Industries Abdul Karim Khan could not resist the pressure of the opposition insisting on referring a call-attention notice to the Standing Committee of the House pertaining to alleged irregularities and mismanagement in a development organisation.

“I have no objection if the mover insists on the referring the matter to the House Standing Committee,” Karim Khan made a commitment on the floor but when the speaker put it for voting then the treasury benches opposed it and the move was defeated by the majority.

Similarly, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Science and Information Technology Kamran Bangash could not defend his government when Awami National Party’s MPA Bahadar Khan stated that the District Education Officer (DEO) in Lower Dir had recruitment a class-IV at Government Higher Secondary School without advertising the post.

When Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Sultan Mohammad is present at the House, he responds in a befitting manner to the issues raised by the opposition.

He answers questions on behalf of the chief minister, ministers, advisors and special assistants in the House.

During the current session, the opposition members even suggested that Sultan Mohammad should be declared as deputy chief minister for handling about 16 departments and portfolios the chief minister was holding at the moment.

Elected to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ticket from Charsadda, Sultan Mohammad was a practising lawyer before entering the politics.

In the 2013 general election, he was elected to the provincial assembly on the Qaumi Watan Party’s ticket.