F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: The provincial assembly Friday witnessed uproar and heated debate over the Billion Tree Aforestation Project (BTAP) wherein opposition accused treasury of their indifferent attitude towards lawmakers who visited Bannu to monitor and investigate mega project.
Soon after the start of the proceeding, Leader of Opposition Akram Khan Durrani drew the attention of the house towards special committee visit to District Bannu to investigate irregularities and embezzlement in BTAP. He said that decided in the special parliamentary committee to visit Bannu on April 25 to monitor forestation and its progress report.
Akram Durrani strongly criticized the treasury benches and said that no minister and government official accompanied them during the visit of the proposed site. He said that when contacted Minister for Information, who is Chairman of the committee, refused to go with the special committee as all opposition members have resigned from all committees.
Akram Durrani said opposition members of the committee visited the BTAP site and found that only 200 saplings planted over 8000 canal land.
Akram Khan Durrani said that the opposition desire friendly environment in the assembly but the government was not responding positively.
Parliamentary Leader of Awami National Party (ANP) Sardar Hussain Babak said that government on basis of its strength and numbers has violated traditions of KP Assembly. He said opposition has resigned only from District Development Advisory Committee chairmanship and standing committee membership but not from special committees.
He said that opposition was not treated like this in the past governments.
Inayatullah Khan of MMA said that according to rules and regulations, chairman of the committee cannot change the date without consultation with the concerned members.
Senior Minister Atif Khan said that if the speaker had not accepted their resignations yet then they were members of all committees. He said that before cancellation of proposed visit to Bannu the committee must be take on board.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Sultan Muhammad said that it is not a debatable issue so new date must be given to visit Bannu site.
Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani while supporting the remarks of Shaukat Yousafzai said that the opposition in their resignations have used the words committees, however, their resignations have not yet accepted. He said that chaiman of the special committee, Shaukat Yousafzai would reply to all queries of the opposition on the floor of the house when he was present.
Later, the Speaker adjourned the proceeding till Monday after noon 13:30pm.
