Motion Pictures and Universities Amendment Bills: KP defers legislation on censorship

The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Friday further deferring the passage of legislation on Censorship of Motion Pictures and Universities (Amendment) Bills 2015. The passages of the Bills were on the agenda of the proceedings of the house. However, the Provincial Minister for Information and Higher Education, Mushtaq Ghani requested the Speaker for deferring them for more few days.
The provincial minister said that government wanted further work and incorporation of some more necessary things in them. Therefore, he requested the chair to defer the matter. The Speaker, Asad Qaiser allowed the deferring the matter.
Earlier, the house referred the matter of the problems of Provincial Management Service (PMS) group officers to the Law Reforms Committee of the house and the Speaker directed the Secretary Assembly for convening a meeting of the concerned committee within a period 15 days.
The issue was raised by Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao of QWP through adjournment. He told the house about the prevalent discontent amongst the officers of Provincial Management Service (PMS) group on account of the bleak prospects of promotions and lacking of opportunities for their carrier development. He said that more than 450 officers are currently working across the province in the group, whose promotions are due since long, but they are not being given their due share.
Sikandar Sherpao clarified that the motion is not against any officer and aimed only at ensuring the promotions of PMS Officers. He said that the issue became contentious after denial of giving share to them in administrative services through a unilateral decision in 1993.
He said that after the passage of 18th Constitutional Amendment, the importance of the issue to enhance their ratio in services increased. He also quoted the Article 240 (B) of the constitution, which he said allows the provincial assembly for legislating in this regard. He said that as the issue is very crucial therefore, it should be referred to Law Reforms Committee of the house for holding threadbare debate and search out solution to it.
Opposition Leader, Maulana Lutf-ur-Rehman, Syed Jaffar Shah of ANP and Abdul Sattar Khan of PML-N also supported the referring of the matter to the concerned committee and after consultations bring out better results.
On this occasion, Special Assistant to CM on Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Arif Yousaf also agreed with the contentions that the promotions of these officers are due for long. However, he said that the matter is in the court.
Provincial Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education, Atif Khan also agreed with the mover and stressed need for the searching out solution of the problem. He requested the chair for referring the matter to the Law Reforms Committee for proposing broad-based proposals for bringing reforms in this regard.
After speeches from both opposition and treasury benches, the Speaker, Asad Qaiser put the matter to vote and the house referred the matter to the committee concerned. Later, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings of the house till 2:00 P.M of April 3-2015.