Non-implementation of ruling: KP speaker summons secretaries of four departments

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani has summoned administrative secretaries of Sports, Excise and Taxation and Home departments on Monday for failing to implement his ruling.

The speaker had ruled that representatives of line departments not less than an additional secretary or grade 18 officer should be present in the assembly, but on Friday representatives of these departments were found absent.

This prompted the speaker to rule that the administrative secretaries of these departments should be present in the assembly on Monday. He ruled that a department would have to submit answer of a question within two weeks or else the question would be referred to the privilege committee.

Ghani maintained that flippant attitude on the part of the government officials would not be tolerated, directing the assembly secretary to write a letter to the chief secretary to convey the directives to the secretaries for implementation.

The speaker made the remarks in the light of complaints by Humera Khatoon of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Nighat Orakzai of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) who said that their questions were either returned unanswered or were incomplete.

Humera Khatoon said the answer to a question she had submitted six months ago was submitted late and that too incomplete. Nighat Orakzai said the answer to her question was not received though it was on agenda of the day.

She added that administrative secretaries, who showed irresponsibility, should be removed. Replying to the call attention notice of ANP’s Khushdil Khan about alteration/change in the Islamiyat book of Class-IV, Minister for Law Sultan Muhammad Khan said the committee constituted for the purpose had submitted its report to the chief minister.

The minister said though correction has been made and the original text restored, the chief minister would take action in the light of the inquiry. However, he said that if the mover insisted on referring the matter to the standing committee the government had no objection.

The speaker announced formation of a special committee to probe the matter. The House unanimously passed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (amendment) Bill, 2020 while the KP Trust Bill, 2020 and KP Cooperative Societies (amendment) Bill 2020 were introduced before the sitting was adjourned till Monday, 10 August 3pm.