The provincial bureaucracy came under fire in the provincial assembly for not giving importance to the provincial assembly and making delay in the submission of answers to the questions of legislators regarding the performance of government departments. The issue was raised by Mufti Said Janan of JUI-F, who complained of the inclusion of only question on the agenda of the house and exclusion of the questions of other members.
Fakhar-e-Azam Wazir of PPP expressed concern over the attitude of the departments termed it a joke with the house and asked the speaker for giving ruling in this regard. The Speaker asked Advisor to CM on Higher Education to clarify situation about his department to which he said that he was ready for replying the questions. But, due to some unknown reasons the department had called for putting them pending. He assured the house that all those universities, which are avoiding answer the questions will face actions.
Senior Minister Inayatullah Khan also agreed with the concerns of both Mufti Said Janan and Fakhar-e-Azam Wazir and said that the house is the custodian of the rights of 20 million population of the province. He said that he will bring the matter in the notice of the chief minister for issuing directives to the Chief Secretary in this regard.
The Senior Minister also proposed to the Speaker for convening a meeting of all administrative secretaries to express collective concern with them. Otherwise, he said the matter will go the standing committee on the privileges, whose recommendations will be sent to government for implementation.
The Opposition Leader, Maulana Lutf-ur-Rehman said that today the treasury benches themselves are complaining against the attitude of bureaucracy, saying that the opposition have already complaining about the absence of the ministers from the house. He said that the opposition had always participated in the legislation and giving suggestions and proposals to the government in national interest. But, most of the members are lacking required information regarding them. The Speaker in his ruling over the matter issued intimation to the Chief Secretary for taking disciplinary action against the administrative secretary concerned within a period of ten-days. Otherwise, the Chief Secretary himself will face privilege motion proceedings.
Meanwhile, the lack of quorum Tuesday hindered the passage of the KP Commission on the Status of Women Bill, 2016 from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly leaving the Speaker Asad Qaiser with no other option than adjourning the proceedings of the house. Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prohibition of Tobacco and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Bill, 2016 moved by Senior Minister for Health, Shahram Khan Tarakai for consideration was referred to the Select Committee of the house for conducting detail deliberations on it before its passage from the house. Meanwhile, the Speaker also took exception to consecutive absence of the ministers and delay in the return of the replies of the questions submitted by the elected public representatives.