PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan’s decision to end the role of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lawmakers in the use of development funds on Wednesday met resistance from the opposition in the provincial assembly, which vowed to block it.
Development funds amounting to Rs20 million are allocated to each member annually. They are spent on the recommendation of the relevant MPA for executing schemes in his/her constituency.
The funds are earmarked for lawmakers under the Tameer-i-Sarhad Programme (TSP) and the government had appropriated Rs2.48 billion in the annual development programme for financial year 2013-14.
PTI, which is leading the coalition government in the province, has decided to end the role of the MPAs, both treasury and opposition, in the use of funds, which, it says, will be spent through the coming local governments.
Vociferous opposition gave tough time to the apparently confused and ill-prepared treasury on the issue, which was raised by Pakistan People’s Party MPA Nighat Orakzai on a point of order.
The opposition members, who were united on the issue, said they would not let the treasury pass the budget for the next fiscal unless the latter withdrew its decision.
They also staged a walkout from the House to protest the decision.
Finance minister Sirajul Haq, health minister Shaukat Yousafzai, minister for works and services Yousaf Ayub, minister for energy Sikandar Sherpao and Speaker Asad Qaisar tried to persuade the opposition members to stop the protest and continue with the agenda.
The ministers said the MPAs’ role had been done away with the aim to ensure transparency in the utilisation of development funds.
Later, it was decided that parliamentary leaders of the opposition would take up the matter with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak today (Thursday).
Some members of the coalition government have also serious reservations about the abolition of the MPAs’ role from TSP.
A lawmaker of Jamaat-i-Islami, partner of the PTI-led ruling coalition in the province, told Dawn that he had not been consulted. He said being member of the coalition government, he would oppose it in the House.
During the session, opposition members said the government should understand ground realities before taking decisions.
They said the people had elected them to carry out development schemes in respective constituencies and if the government abruptly ended the role of MPAs in TSP, then they would lose their importance in the eyes of voters.
The opposition members said the Punjab government had allocated Rs50 million for each MPA under the same programme, while Sindh and Balochistan governments had also continued offering development funds to lawmakers.
PML-N MPA Wajihuz Zaman suggested that the government continue the role of TSP until the introduction of an alternate system.
He said after introduction of new local government system in the province, the government could review its decision and the opposition would support every positive step of the government.
The House continued discussion on demands for grants for the third consecutive day.
The treasury tried to convince the opposition to withdraw their cut motions on a total of 59 demands for grants to pass the annual budget on Wednesday night.
The House approved 15 demands for grants before passing the budget for the next fiscal year.