KP Assembly turns into fish market

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly turned into a fish market on Friday as the opposition members traded barbs with deputy speaker over the passage of a bill and extension in the period of two ordinances.

The House adopted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Epidemic Control and Emergency Relief Bill, 2020 and also granted an extension for 90 days to the KP Khassadar Force Ordinance 2020; and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas Development Authority Regulation (repeal) Ordinance 2020. The opposition objected to the legislation. It said the deputy speaker was in a hurry to get it passed without providing the opposition copies and an opportunity for discussion.

Inayatullah Khan of the Jamaat-e-Islami said the KP Epidemic Control and Emergency Relief Bill was is in contradiction with the Election Act 2017 and said the Election Commission of Pakistan had opposed it as well.

He said the bill provides for delaying the Local Government elections which was not only against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) manifesto but also a violation of the Election Act 2017, adding it was not the provincial government mandate to delay the polls through legislation.

Supporting his point Sardar Husain Babak of the Awami National Party (ANP) said the speaker was in a greater hurry than the government to pass the legislation.

He said running the affairs through ordinances was against the spirit of democracy and if it was so necessary, then the members should be informed of its importance and provided copies in advance.

The opposition members exchanged harsh words with deputy speaker Mehmood Jan who got angry and warned that he could not be pressurised through making a noise. “Nobody can pressurize Mehmood Jan. I will allow members to speak only when they speak with dignity and do not shout,” he remarked.

In his reply Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information and Local Government Kamran Bangash said the transition period would be counted from August 2019 for two years. “Since the holding of elections in Covid-19 situation may put in danger lives and that’s why it was decided to delay it,” he argued.

He said after 18th Amendment the provinces were authorised to take decision and the matter would be taken with the Election Commission. Earlier, to a question, Health Minister Taimur Salim Jhagra told the House that Covid-19 cases in the province had been on the decline due to smart lockdowns and the number of those on ventilators had reduced by almost 45 percent.

The corona funds are released to districts on the basis of cases, he said, adding the majority of the cases is referred to tertiary care or Medical and Teaching Institutions though facilities at district hospitals have been increased. The minister said the capacity for critical care is being increased to 1800 beds as a precautionary measure in case the second layer of corona hit the province.

Nighat Orakzai of the Pakistan People’s Party said the province lacked anti-secure (the person expert in operating ventilator) as she said there were only two anti-secure one each male and female in KP. She said the female has quit the government job and joined a private hospital and now there was no expert to run ventilators in the public sector hospitals.

The PPP MPA said the government should hire such experts from other provinces even on high salaries as its training take four years to save patients’ lives, who often die after going on ventilators. The House admitted the adjournment motion by Khushdil Khan of the ANP for discussion on coronavirus situation in the province. Nighat Orakzai, on a point of order, condemned the threatening tweet by Ehsanullah Ehsan to Bilawal Bhutto, saying the terrorist involved in the Army Public School carnage should know that PPP leaders and workers could not be frightened through such tactics. She also questioned the escape of Ehsanullah from security agency custody.

The debate was going on when the speaker had to adjourn the House to July 24 after the lack of quorum was pointed out.