PESHAWAR: Through a unanimous resolution the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday asked the federal government to increase the allocated funds for the Lowari Tunnel project from Rs1 billion to Rs4 billion and ban all ‘immoral’ programmes on the TV channels.
The government and opposition lawmakers, including Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan, PML-N’s Rashad Khan, JUI-F’s Lutfur Rehman, ANP’s Sardar Hussain Babak, PPP’s Nighat Orakzai and All Pakistan
Muslim League (APML)’s Ghulam Mohammad moved one of the resolutions, terming the Lowari Tunnel a vital project as it would eventually link Pakistan to Central Asia and Chitral with rest of the country.
They observed that Rs1 billion was insufficient for such a mega project. The lone parliamentary leader of the APML, Ghulam Mohammad from Chitral said the construction of Lowari Tunnel started in 2007 and continued till 2008 but later its design was changed.
He said Rs9 billion had been spent on the project but and now the present government has allocated Rs1 billion only for the tunnel. He felt it would delay the construction of the tunnel.
The movers urged the government to increase the allocation for the project to Rs4 billion so that the problems of the people of Chitral could be solved.
JUI-F’s Uzma Khan in her separate resolution urged the government to ban immoral programmes on TV channels as these are contrary to the society’s religious and cultural norms.
The House also passed a resolution moved by JUI-F’s Zareen Gul asking for the establishment of National Bank of Pakistan branches in Torghar district to facilitate the people.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Israrullah Gandapur, who supported the resolutions moved by opposition members, also moved a resolution seeking powers for the Speaker under rule 193 for the formation of standing committees.
He recalled that according to tradition, the speakers had been exercising their powers to form standing committees but Speaker Asad Qaiser held meeting with opposition members and they also authorised the chair to form the committees. Being the custodian of the House, Israrullah Gandapur said the chair would ensure opposition’s representation in the committees.
The minister for law also justified the nomination of 14 cabinet ministers, five advisors and five special assistants, saying the chief minister has the power to do so under an act and there was nothing illegal in it.
He said that after the passage of 18th Amendment and devolution of power, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was affected. He complained against the members of the then committee for ignoring the interests of the province.
He said the chief minister could also appoint parliamentary secretaries because the perks and privileges of the cabinet members had been reflected in the budget.
He said the government had the option of handing over two to three departments under the supervision of one minister but those could create problems for the people and legislators. He said it was the prerogative of the chief minister to appoint advisors and special assistants to run the affairs of the government.
Earlier, ANP parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak pointed out that the government on the one hand was claiming to have reduced its expenditures while on the other it appointed advisors and special assistants.
He said the provincial government was also appointing parliamentary secretaries, which would not only create burden on the public exchequer but also negate the claims of the government’s austerity campaign.
via The News