PTI MPAs repose confidence in CM

PESHAWAR: The ruling party lawmakers in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Thursday put trust in Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur as leader of the House while standing on their seats during the assembly proceedings, chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.

Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan criticised KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi for his remarks against the chief minister. He said instead of issuing “irrelevant” statements, the governor could ask the chief minister to take a vote of confidence under the Constitution.

The minister said all the ruling party MPAs were united under the leadership of Gandapur and fully supported him. He asked all the treasury members to stand on their seats in support of Ali Amin Gandapur which was done.

The Assembly Hall echoed with slogans in favour of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan and Ali Amin Gandapur as the PTI lawmakers displayed support for the chief minister.

PTI MPAs Mian Omar, Asif Khan Mehsud, Samiullah Khan, Riaz Khan and Khalid Khan criticized the establishment’s role in politics and country affairs.

The treasury benches continued to criticise the recent arrest of the PTI leaders and parliamentarians on the premises of the National Assembly

Provincial Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah said that all institutions must remain within their constitutional domain. “Raiding the parliament and arresting elected representatives from the National Assembly premises was not only against democracy but also an insult to the people’s mandate,” he said. “National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq must expose all those who had ordered and conducted the attack on the parliament or else he should resign”, said Syed Ali Qasim Shah who was named the social welfare minister a day earlier after taking from him the health portfolio.

However, Opposition leader Dr Ibadullah Khan and other opposition members reminded the provincial government to establish the government writ and improve the deteriorating law and order situation in the province where the police force had been on the protest for the last several days.

Dr Ibadullah Khan, who is from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, said that Chief Minister Gandapur had violated the sanctity of his office by using abusive language against the country’s establishment, women and media persons at a public gathering in Islamabad.

“The style and language of Ali Amin Gandapur was condemnable,” he said. He recalled that the PTI leaders had not only supported the generals and establishment in the past but also its incarcerated leader had time and again stated he would not talk to politicians and civilian government but to the establishment.

The opposition leader asked the PTI government to improve the law and order situation in the province as he said that the provincial government had lost its writ in southern and merged districts where target killing, kidnapping and extortion had become routine.

Awami National Party MPA from Bajaur Nisar Baz said that his party had always advocated for democracy, supremacy of the parliament, rule of law and permanent peace in the country and had strongly opposed the arrest of parliamentarians outside the Parliament House.

However, slammed the PTI-led government for ignoring the deteriorating law and order and the target killing of police and peaceful citizens.

“Law and order was the responsibility of the provincial government and the chief minister should order an inquiry as to why the police in Lakki Marwat and Bajaur had been on the protest for the last several days.

“Don’t divert attention from a genuine issue and protect your people and forces,” the ANP MPA asked the provincial government. The session was adjourned till Friday afternoon.