PTI dissident MPA protest against not releasing of fund

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Monday witnessed a unique method of protest a former provincial minister Amjad Afridi used a whistle to record his protest against PTI-led coalition government for not releasing funds in oil and gas royalty.

The house resumed proceedings after a long break of three weeks with Deputy Speaker, Dr. Meher Taj Roghani in the chair.

The treasury bench legislator recalled that he had recorded his protest on the floor the house seven months ago and Speaker had ruled the release the funds, but, it not happened which he said is the breach of the privilege of the slogan of change raised by the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The protesting legislator whistled for several times and also shouted on provincial government that how they will bring change through stoppage of the release of the funds of an elected MPA.

The joint opposition in the house also joined Afridi in his protest and demanded the opening of the mike of the protesting legislator to raise his voice, but in a bid to save the government from embarrassment the Deputy Speaker adjourned the proceeding till 3:00 P.M. on Tuesday.

Later, talking to media Amjad Afridi said that the provincial government had failed to release even a single penny out of 2.4 billion rupees in oil and gas royalty funds of Kohat Division for the year 2015-16.

Similarly, he said that out of about 2 billion rupees the government during financial year 2016-17 had released only 560 million rupees while for 2017-18 the government had released only 730 million rupees.

He alleged that the Chief Minister Pervez Khattak giving his developmental funds to his Advisor Zia Ullah Bangash and depriving the people of his constituencies of developmental schemes.

Earlier, questions regarding minimum wages of labourers and Technical Education were referred to concern committees and one question regarding Excise and Taxation was deferred as the movers were not satisfied from the written reply by the departments.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Ali of Jamaat-e-Islami withdrawn his question in protest and said that he had put up this question two year ago but the concern Industries and Commerce Department failed to reply on time.