Angry opposition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Friday blocked the passage of legislation by pinpointing the lack of quorum in the provincial assembly. The provincial government was determined to pass the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation Bill, 2016 from the house. But, the opposition took the benefit of the empty seats of treasury benches to take avenge the onslaught of the senior PTI leader and Provincial Minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE) Shah Farman on the opposition, particularly on the previous government of ANP in the house.
The house was due to adopt the legislation for the establishment of Health Foundation to promote and enable the development of innovative health care delivery models to achieve policy objectives of the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to improve coverage through various means of Public Private Partnership for healthcare delivery services. Clause-wise debate on the bill was continued with Deputy Speaker Dr Meher Taj Roghani in the chair. The house though adopted some clauses when amendment proposed by Meraj Hamayun was also included in the bill, but in case of the amendment proposed by Sobia Khan of PML-N regarding the implementation of the policies relating to the public private partnership and related initiatives under the public private partnership Act, 2014.
Provincial Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai declined to accept the proposed amendment and requested the opposition to withdraw their amendments to pave way for the passage of the bill from the house. In response to the request of minister, the opposition counter-requested the treasury benches for referring the proposed legislation to the select committee of the house. However, the treasury benches were determined for the passage of the bill.
In the meantime, first Sahibzada Sanaullah of PPP pinpointed the lack of quorum in the house to the chair. But, the Deputy Speaker continued the proceedings of the house, which also attracted the attention of more opposition legislators particularly of their parliamentary leaders. The chorus of the opposition legislators demanding for the counting of the members present in the house, the Deputy Speaker directed the assembly staff for counting.
The treasury benches, particularly, Special Assistant to CM on Information, Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani was determined for the continuation of the proceedings and passage of the bill. However, the Deputy Speakers said that legal experts had told her that the proceedings could not be continued. She said that only 29 members are present in the house. The lack of quorum prompted the Deputy Speaker, Dr Meher Taj Roghani to read out the message of the Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding the prorogation of the proceedings of the house for indefinite period.