Resolution passed with majority: KP Assembly seeks provincial status for Hazara division

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday passed with a majority the resolution that had sought the province’s status for the Hazara division.

The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) Sardar Muhammad Yousaf’s had moved the resolution which was passed with a majority as some members opposed the resolution.

The resolution was a reminder of the previous resolution and signed by the treasury and opposition members from the Hazara division.

It said: “This august House recommends to the federal government that on March 21, 2014, this assembly had passed a resolution wherein it was demanded that the Constitution of Pakistan does not prohibit the establishment of a new province on the administrative ground. That is why this House recommends to the federal government to ensure implementation of the resolution by bringing a bill in the National Assembly for amending the Constitution to allow for the creation of new provinces in the country. The bill should be passed with consensus and a commission be constituted to pave the way for the establishment of a separate Hazara province”.

Earlier, lack of quorum marred the assembly session as Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani had to adjourn the sitting for 10 minutes just after recitation from the Holy Quran when the opposition pointed out the issue.

Nighat Orakzai of the Pakistan People’s Party referred to the lack of quorum. She said it was ironic that treasury benches were not taking the assembly business seriously that compelled the opposition to remind the chair of the issue. She asked the speaker to prorogue the session.

Khushdil Khan of the Awam National Party also supported her point.

He said the session running for a long time should be prorogued if members were not taking interest in its business.

Minister for Housing Dr Amjad Ali Khan also asked the speaker to prorogue the session.

However, the speaker, annoyed by the lawmakers’ non-seriousness, warned he would start the proceeding at the exact time and adjourn the sitting if members were not present.

He said since the session was requisitioned by the government and not the opposition, he cannot prorogue it without the governor’s order of prorogation.

The speaker said the law minister should bring a prorogation order if the government was not interested in running the session. The assembly unanimously adopted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Deserving Artists Welfare Endowment Fund Bill, 2021 and the KP Science, Technology and Innovation Endowment Fund Bill, 2021.