KP To Discuss Construction Of New Balakot City With Centre

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th August, 2016) : Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was Monday told that the provincial government want to discuss the settlement of the issue of residents of earthquake affected Balakot city with the Federal government. This was stated by provincial minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE), Shah Farman while responding to a call attention notice moved by Ziaur Rehman of PML-N.

He said, after the earthquake, federal government had committed the construction of New Balakot City at Bakriyal, but the promise was not accomplished. In his call attention notice, the PML-N legislator said despite passage of a period of four years, work on the construction of New Balakot city was not started and people were living in tents.

Parliamentary Secretary, Ms Nirgis told the house that though it was an old matter, but, the previous government did nothing in this regard. Defending the provincial government, Minister for Public Health Engineering, Shah Farman said previous governments did not prefer to tackle the issue, adding Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) and Provincial Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (PERRA) would sit together to resolve the issue. On a point of order, Amna Sardar of PML-N said FATA Adhoc lecturers, employees of Worker Welfare board and Teaching Assistants were on protest for their salaries and regularization.

In his ruling, Speaker Asad Qaiser directed the concerned departments to resolve the issues and submit a report in the provincial assembly.

Sardar Hussain Babak of ANP was critical of the conducting of the proceedings of the assembly on last Friday without quorum, which he said was against the rules of business. The Speaker Asad Qaiser in his response said he knew the rules of business, saying the proceedings were according to the rules and regulations, adding they had discussed only Afghan issues in the session. Taking the floor, MPA of PTI Qurban Ali Khan requested the house that former Minister for Mineral Development Ziaullah Afridi was an accused, not a criminal, so he should be allowed to attend the assembly proceedings.

The speaker said he would give his ruling on the matter later. Later, some members of opposition staged walk out from the house over the refusal of the chief minister to meet Munawar Khan of JUI-F and Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha of PPP in CM House few days back. Speaker Asad Qaiser, later, read out the message of the KP Governor for prorogation of the session for indefinite period.