NWFP Assembly Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan has said the provincial government has started serious work on the implementation of unanimously resolution regarding exemption of three-marla houses from the property tax.
Talking in the Mulaqaat Programme of the Khyber Union of Journalists here at the Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, he said he was satisfied with the performance of the NWFP Assembly.
He said unlike other assemblies of the country, members of the NWFP Assembly have complete unanimity on all issues involving interests of the province, adding: "The treasury and opposition have complete intimacy and closeness among their ranks in the NWFP."
To a question, he said the MMA should have included some kinds of financial package for the province while inking agreement with the government on the LFO, adding the opposition and the government should evolve a joint strategy for addressing financial woes of the province.
Dispelling the impression of any kind of constitutional deadlock over the trumpeted Hasba Bill, he said the matter would be thrashed out by fulfilling the legal norms.
"The Constitution is crystal clear in dealing such matters and the bill could be again sent to the NWFP governor for reconsideration after obtaining the views of the legal experts", he said, and hoped that the resolution of the issue through constitutional means.
The NWFP Assembly Speaker told the newsmen that under Article 131, all the decision of the provincial government is communicated to the provincial governor.
Moreover, under Article-229, the President, the governors or the 2/5th of the legislators if decide that a clause is against Islam, could refer it to the Islamic Ideology Council (IIC) for taking its consent. The IIC is bound to decide the matter within 15 days.
However, in the present situation, Bakht Jehan Khan said the IIC does not exist at all. The governor NWFP, he said, has advised the government to refer the
Hasba Bill to the IIC.
In response to a question, he denied that as the acting governor, he (Speaker) was not enjoying full powers as enjoyed by a full time governor. Under the Constitution, he said, the acting governor enjoyed full powers.
Replying another question, the Speaker said he was satisfied with the performance of the standing committees of the House which are promptly responding to all matters after it were referred to it.
When asked that contrary to the claims of the MMA to curtail expenditures, the Public Accounts Committee's month long session was called in hilly resort Nathiagali, Bakht Jehan Khan said since new building of the Assembly is under-construction adjacent to the existing one, therefore, to avoid the noise and other unnecessary disturbances, the PAC met outside Peshawar. However, he said, in future its meeting would be held in Peshawar.
About the problems facing the people, he said, 56 years difficulties could not be addressed overnight. However, he said, the MMA government has made easy its access to the masses.