KP Assembly passes supplementary budget

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday passed the Rs234.98 billion supplementary budget for 2021-22 as the opposition withdrew its cut motions.

The budget was approved after the opposition withdrew its cut motions on 54 demands for grant following an agreement with the treasury.

However, some opposition members sought discussion on various issues, saying they were withdrawing the cut motions but wanted to draw the government’s attention towards some important issues.

Expressing concern over the worsening law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sardar Hussain Babak of the Awami National Party (ANP)said the incidents of kidnapping for ransom were on the rise.

He said Afghan carpet traders, who had been in this business for decades, were being harassed and abducted over the last seven/eight months.

He alleged that they were made to pay between Rs20 to 30 million.

The ANP leader said that so far four to five Afghans running this business in Shuba Bazaar had been abducted from the market and were set free after paying millions of rupees.

He said an Afghan named Najeeb was recently kidnapped from Faqirabad locality in Peshawar. He said his family was asked to pay one million dollars as ransom for his release. Babak said as per latest information the deal was being finalised to pay Rs20 million to secure his release from the captors.

Demanding high-level inquiry into the issue, he said he was aware of who was involved in the ugly business.

Babak said he would tell everything if the inquiry committee was constituted and asked him to seek his input. He demanded intelligence agencies should be asked as to how such incidents were taking place and they were not reporting them to the government.

He said it was ironic that Pashtuns were being targeted, adding the Awami National Party (ANP) would no longer remain silent over this issue. He demanded the government to probe the matter and protect the people, including Afghans.

In his reply, Minister for Labour and Culture Shaukat Yousafzai said it was the responsibility of the government to protect the life and property of the people.

He said the Afghans had been living in Pakistan for decades, therefore, they deserved due respect and protection.

He said a report into the matter would be sought from the police chief and culprits would be brought to justice.

Earlier, Nighat Orakzai of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) informed the House that the lumpy skin disease was fast spreading among the cattle in the province, urging the government to take corrective steps.

She said the animal husbandry department should be provided funds to vaccinate the livestock in order to stop the spread of the disease.

Former minister Hisham Inamullah of the PTI talked about the recent recovery of gas in Lakki Marwat and Waziristan and demanded these districts should be provided the commodity on priority basis or else the local people would be compelled to stage protests.

Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan prorogued the session sine die after the House passed the supplementary budget and held discussion on it.