The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday unanimously demanded the devolution of the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) to the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to resolve the problems of growers. The resolution moved by Arbab Jahandad of the PTI was also carrying the signatures of members of all parliamentary parties.
The resolution said that tobacco is an important cash crop and the growers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa earn livelihood by cultivating the crop. But, the farmers have many problems in this regard. The resolution demanded the federal government to hand over the affairs of the PTB to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that the step would not only resolve the problems of farmers, but would also increase the production of tobacco in the province.
Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was told that the provincial government wanted to discuss the settlement of the issue of the residents of earthquake affected Balakot city with the federal government.
Responding to the call attention notice of the Zia-ur-Rehman of the PML-N, Provincial Minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE), Shah Farman said that after the earthquake the federal government committed the construction of New Balakot City at Bakriyal, but the promise was not fulfilled.
In his call attention notice, the PML-N legislator said that despite the passage of the period of four years, work on the construction of New Balakot city was not started and the people to live in tents.
Parliamentary Secretary, Nirgis told the house that though it was an old matter, but, the previous government did nothing in this regard. Sardar Aurangzeb Nalota of the PML-N said that the issue is not limited to Balakot, rather it was the issue of Hazara Division. Defending the provincial government, the minister for Public Health Engineering, said that previous governments did not prefer to tackle the issue. He said Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) and Provincial Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (PERRA) would sit together to resolve the issue.
Through a point of order, Amna Sardar of the PML-N said that FATA Adhoc lecturers, employees of Worker Welfare Board and Teaching Assistants were on protest for their salaries and regularisation.
In his ruling, the speaker Asad Qaiser directed the concerned departments to resolve the issues and submit report in the provincial assembly. Sardar Hussain Babak of ANP was critical of the conducting of the proceedings of the assembly on last Friday without quorum, which he said was against the rule of business. Speaker Asad Qaiser in his response said that he knows the rules of business, saying the proceedings were according to the rules and regulations. He said that they had discussed only Afghan issues in the session.
Taking the floor, disgruntle MPA of PTI Qurban Ali Khan requested the house that former Minister for Mineral Development Ziaullah Afridi was accused and he was not a criminal, he should be allowed to attend assembly proceeding. The Speaker said that he would give his ruling on the matter later.
Later, some members of the opposition staged walk out from the house over the refusal of the chief minister to meet Munawar Khan of the JUI-F and Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha of the PPP in CM House few days back. Later, the Speaker Asad Qaiser read out the message of the KP Governor for prorogation of the session for indefinite period.