K-P Assembly. PHOTO: AFP
“The province is passing through a severe financial crisis the likes of which has never been seen before,” said Awami National Party Parliamentary Leader Sardar Hussain Babak. He raised the issue on a point of order after the house completed its agenda for the day.
Babak started his speech by pointing out the protesting supporters of former minister for mines and mineral development Ziaullah Afridi, who is in jail on corruption charges. The suspect’s supporters were demonstrating outside the assembly. Babak asked the speaker to produce the former minister before the house so that he could have his say.
Babak said the PTI-led government was claiming to have started accountability from a minister, but the party lacked the courage to permit him into the house something which was his right.
He highlighted the issue of Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officers who were also protesting outside and demanding the removal of the provincial chief secretary.
He then pointed out amendments in the K-P Ehtesab Commission Act, 2014 through which the government clipped the commission’s wings to investigate ongoing government schemes.
“We know what is behind this,” he said. The ANP leader referred to the Billion Tree Tsunami project, saying certain people were given nurseries of 40 million saplings.
“The government should not clip the wings of the ACE and EC, but rather face these authorities.”
He added it was no secret that the anti-corruption director general had gone to the court against the government. “ACE former DG General (retd) Hamid has disclosed things. Ziaullah Afridi has disclosed 97 FIRs registered in Nowshera against illegal mining. Who is carrying out this illegal mining?” he questioned.
Babak accused the PTI-led government of preparing to privatise BoK. He said Jamaat-e-Islami ministers were equally responsible for keeping mum over the matter.
“The chief minister promised he would present a report on the matter in the house. In Islamabad, you (Khattak) demand enquiries under the supervision of the chief justice, but in your own government probes are done through your own minister,” Babak added.
He raised the issue of the workings of the ACE which collected money from contractors through illegal means. “Now, the government is asking the contractors to lodge FIRs against the former DG for taking the money.” He called this method “official extortion”.
The ANP stalwart recalled that government members lauded the last budget, but it was based on inflated figures which now caused a severe financial crisis in the province. He added the government lacked the finances to pay salaries to its employees and local government development budgets had also been slashed.
From the government, Minister for Labour and Mineral Development Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, Minister for Education Atif Khan and Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan responded to issues raised by Babak.
Tahirkheli said the BoK enquiry report was presented on Friday at a Cabinet meeting and a committee was established under an executive order.
Inayatullah rejected claims of BoK’s privatisation and said JI would quit the government if the bank was sold.
Speaking about the budget, Inayatullah put the responsibility on the federal government, saying the shortfall was due to the decrease in receipts transfer from the federal government. “We don’t have any shortfall in provincial revenues,” he said. “Around 90% of our budget is dependent on federal transfers and Centre has yet to provide Rs77 billion which it had agreed to give.”
Speaking about the PCS officers’ issue, the minister said the problems persisted all over the country and the Cabinet committee was working on them.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 21st, 2016.
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