The NWFP Assembly on Tuesday passed a unanimous resolution demanding of the federal government to ban the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for what it said killing innocent political workers of different parties on May 12.
Bashir Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party (ANP) and Shagufta Naz of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) presented separate resolutions on the same issue and flayed the deaths of innocent people allegedly by the MQM's armed workers in Karachi. The MPAs belonging to parties including PML-Q, PML-N, PPP-Sherpao and PPPP did not oppose the move.
Bilour, whose resolution was on scheduled agenda of the session, opposed to move a joint resolution with MMA MPA, saying it would be unwise to allow a woman MPA to wrest away the opposition's agenda. "Whenever I bring resolution on a political matter, the treasury benches try to hijack it," Bilour said. He was of the view that the MMA lawmaker should table her resolution separately.
Reading out her resolution, endorsed by the other women MPAs, including Fauzia Farrukh, Zobaida Khatoon, Shagufta Naz asked the government to put a ban on the MQM terrorist activities and declare it a defunct organisation. She also demanded of the government to ask the United Kingdom to extradite MQM chief Alatf Hussain, living in a posh London area, for his alleged involvement in terrorist activities. The woman legislator alleged that the MQM activists had killed over 42 innocent people in Karachi on May 12.
The House also passed a resolution tabled by Qazi Mohammad Asad of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) about removal oof the conditionality of academic qualification for the union council nazim in the local bodies elections. The House adopted it with a majority vote, because MMA lawmakers, who were confused over the issue, abstained from voting.
The Assembly also adopted 14 more resolutions presented by Javed Mohmand, Khalid Waqar Khan, Dr Zakir Shah, Fareed Khan, Fazale Rabbani, Abdullah Bangash, Maulana Nizamuddin, Sgagufta Naz, Zobaida Khatoon of MMA, Abdul Akbar Khan and Mazhar Jamil Alizai of the People's Party Parliamentarian, Zar Gul Khan of Pakistan Muslim League (Q), Israrullah Khan Gandapur and Alamzeb Khan Umerzai of the PPP (Sherpao) and Bashir Ahmed Bilour of the ANP.
The resolutions demanded extension in vote registration date, establishment of cadet college in Peshawar, shifting of army supply depot outside Peshawar city, removal of cigarette companies boards outside prisons, police stations and other state buildings, linking of Hari Chand Wapda sub-division with Mardan and stoppage of un-declared load shedding in Tall and Hangu.