Motorway gang-rape: Rumpus in PA as female Opp MPAs disallowed to speak on issue

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly witnessed a rumpus on Friday as the opposition particularly female members staged a sit-in near the speaker’s dais when Deputy Speaker Mehmood Jan did not allow them to speak about the motorway gang rape.

The female opposition members walked out from the House and later returned to stage the sit-in while wearing black strips around their heads. Just after recitation from the Holy Quran, the opposition members wanted to speak on the shameful incident of gang rape of a woman on motorway at Lahore but Deputy Speaker Mehmood Jan, who presided over the session, did not allow them, saying he would first complete the agenda and then give the floor for discussion on the incident. He also exchanged barbs with Munawwar Khan of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI).

Nighat Orakzai of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) also shouted at him and exchanged harsh words with the deputy speaker for not allowing her to speak on the incident. Sobia Shahid of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) also joined Nighat Orakzai and they both staged the sit-in. However, Naeema Kishwar of JUI said on a point of order that the Lahore incident was condemnable. She said a transgendered person was killed in Peshawar and a lady constable was shot dead in Nowshera in the presence of 13 policemen. The CCPO Lahore’s statement added fuel to the fire, she said. She added that a couple was shot dead in Sahiwal in broad day light in front of their children. She said such incidents could be avoided if the law-enforcement agencies performed duty honestly. Earlier, the privilege motion of Salahuddin Mohmand and Faisal Zeb of Awami National Party against managing director Sports and Tourism Junaid Khan was referred to the privilege committee. The mover complained they visited the official but he did not meet them despite keeping them waiting for a long time and his office staff also misbehaved with them. Zafar Azam of JUI withdrew his privilege motion against Matani police, but said the government should deploy polite policemen for managing traffic mess created due to parking of thousands of trucks and trailers supplying goods under Afghan Transit Trade.

Another privilege by Salahuddin Khan against the manager of the United Bank Limited Sadar branch was also referred to the concerned committee. On a call attention notice of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)’s Inayatullah Khan about shifting of the World Bank projects of hydel power from Dir to Swat, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information Kamran Bangash said that he would inform the House after getting briefing from Adviser to Chief Minister on Energy and Power Himayatullah Khan. However, he said the two projects of 69 megawatts were dropped by the World Bank for executing a mega project of 157 megawatts at Madian in Swat. Meanwhile, replying to a question, Adviser to Chief Minister on Higher Education Khaliqur Rahman told the House that the two-year BA, BSc courses were being wound up and four-year BS and two years associate degree courses were being launched in 128 colleges of the province.

He admitted that private candidates would not be able to get higher education, adding that BS courses cannot be launched in all colleges in the province.