PESHAWAR - Opposition parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday jointly walked out from assembly proceedings to record protest against ignoring them in selection of chairmen District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC).
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Parliamentary Leader, Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha, announced of walkout on the floor of the house soon after his brief speech, and was followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema Islam (F), and Awami National Party (ANP) legislators to leave the assembly hall jointly.
JUI-F’s Parliamentary Leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman raised the issue that PTI government had ignored the opposition members in selecting chairmen DDAC and appointed women members instead of giving the office to the elected opposition members. He was of the view that provincial government was not respecting democratic norms despite making tall claims of justice and change.
Backed by PML-N’s Sardar Aurangzeb Nalota and PPP’s Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha, they said that in their respective districts opposition has been ignored in appointing DDAC chairmen. They, however, ended the protest when Senior Ministers Sirajul Haq, Sikandar Sherpao, Minister for Health, Shaukat Yousafzai, and Minister for Law Israrullaha Gandapur persuaded them.
On this occasion, Gandapur said the government would fulfil its commitment with the opposition.
In the absence of opposition parties in the house, the treasury members severely criticised WAPDA for carrying out unannounced loadshedding in the province. Ignoring the requests of the Speaker Asad Qaisar, majority of the treasury members started speaking at one time. On this occasion the Speaker said that he would call PESCO chief executive to his chamber to resolve the issue.
Terming the officials in WAPDA as inefficient and incapable, Advisor to Chief Minister on higher Education Mushtaq Ghani said the unannounced loadshedding would force the people to engulf their houses but warned to turn those protest against WAPDA suggesting the chair to form special committee for it.
KPK Minister for Public Health and Engineering Shah Farman said the ongoing loadshedding was being made to defame the PTI government. Minister for Communication and Works Yousaf Ayub also suggested summoning PESCO officials.
Meanwhile, PPP’s Nighat Orakzai said her party had boycotted the presidential election and they would not come today (Tuesday) to attend the assembly proceedings. She said it was impossible for their candidate to visit his electorates within such a short time.
KPK Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Israrullah Khan Gandapur presented The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Arms Ordinance 2013, The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Explosives Ordinance 2013 while the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Surrender of illicit Arms Ordinance 2013 was deferred. Later, the lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution moved by the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Israrullah Khan Gandapur seeking permission to use the Assembly chamber for presidential election on Tuesday as polling station.