Non-compliance with ruling irks KP Assembly speaker

PESHAWAR: Taking exception to the non-compliance of his ruling, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani has summoned the administrative secretary of the Finance department.

The speaker also warned him of bringing a privilege motion against him and writing a letter to the chief secretary about his irresponsible behaviour. He asked the chief secretary to initiate inquiry against the secretary Finance for not complying with his previous ruling.

The speaker had summoned the secretary Fiancé to the assembly and had expelled from the House another officer of the department for submitting an incomplete answer to a question.

The speaker said the House was the custodian of government exchequer, not the secretary. He added that being a state employee the secretary was answerable to the assembly. He argued that if the Inspector General of Police could come to the House why not the secretary Finance.

He asked Minister for Housing Dr Amjad Ali Khan to conduct a departmental inquiry as to why the answers to questions by lawmakers were provided late.

Though the speaker appreciated the chief secretary for writing letters to secretaries of the departments concerned, he advised them to submit answer timely and ensure their attendance in the assembly during sessions.

The House admitted for discussion the adjournment motion of the Pakistan Muslim-League Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Ikhtiar Wali regarding debate on Covid-19 situation and opening of the educational institutions.

The privilege motion of Abdul Salam Afridi of the ruling PTI about the alleged wrong behaviour of vice-chancellor of the University of Engineering and Technology, Mardan was referred to the committee concerned.

The mover said that Vice-Chancellor Dr Shahid Khattak had blocked his cellphone number and was not replying to his messages and calls despite the fact he was a member of the university’s syndicate.

Through a joint call attention notice of Inayatullah Khan, Sahibzada Sanaullah and other MPAs from Upper Dir and Lower Dir and Mian Nisar Gul from Karak, the attention of the House was drawn towards the issue of the forced retirement of the Levies men.

However, Law Minister Akbar Ayub told the House that the chief minister had constituted a committee to look into the matter and submit the report to the government. The meeting of the committee was going to take place on 26 April, he added.

The House unanimously passed resolutions asking the government to declare Mansehra and other districts as calamity-hit in the aftermath of the hailstorm that damaged standing crops.

PML-N’s Sardar Yousaf and PTI’s Babar Salim Swati had tabled the resolutions. The session was later adjourned till April 26.

Earlier, the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) (amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced in the House.