Opposition boycotts KP budget session over ‘rigging’ in LB polls

PESHAWAR: The opposition parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly except Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) on Monday announced boycott of the budget session in protest against the alleged rigging in the local government elections and unjustified distribution of development funds on the part of the provincial government.
The parliamentary leaders of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) walked out of the assembly session amid sloganeering and rumpus during the budget speech.However, members of QWP didn’t join their colleagues on the opposition benches and remained seated till the end of the budget speech.
Talking to reporters outside the assembly hall, opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman, who is also parliamentary party leader of JUI-F, said the provincial government utilised development fund and state machinery for its candidates in the local government elections on May 30.
“We will boycott the budget session as no parliamentary party was taken into confidence over the allocation of development schemes,” he said. He pointed out that the PTI-led government failed to utilise the development fund for the current fiscal year. He said the PTI leaders criticised the federal government for unjustified distribution of development funds and schemes, but the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government also deprived the opposition parties and certain districts of uplift projects. ANP parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak said the provincial government, particularly the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, rigged the LG polls and even changed the election results through the district returning officers.
“The opposition parties have announced protest against the provincial government. We will continue our protest inside and outside the assembly,” he said. He added that worst kind of irregularities and mismanagement were witnessed during the local government elections.
PML-N parliamentary party leader Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha said the budget documents had been prepared in Bani Gala home of PTI chief Imran Khan and no opposition party was consulted over the allocations for development schemes.
“All the claims of PTI Chairman Imran Khan about transparent elections, good governance and equal distribution of funds have proven false,” he said, adding the PML-N would stand by the opposition parties in their protest against the provincial government.
Justifying their presence in the House during the budget speech, QWP’s Aneesa Zeb Tahirkheli told this scribe that they were still part of the opposition benches, but there was no need for boycotting the budget session. “We will attend the budget session and criticise every wrong policy and figures reflected in the budget documents,” she said. She added that the QWP leadership has yet to decide rejoining the PTI-led government in the province. The Aftab Sherpao-led QWP’s stance is being keenly watched following reports that it has been invited by Chief Minister Khattak to again become part of the provincial coalition government. The QWP had quit the government when two of its ministers were sacked for their alleged involvement in corruption.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani termed the boycott and protest of opposition parties undemocratic. “First they (opposition parties) should listen to the budget speech and then make hue and cry, but they have already made up their mind,” he said. He added the government would persuade the opposition parties to attend the budget session.