DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The newly established Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly WASH Caucus held its first meeting on Wednesday, with lawmakers and development partners calling for stronger coordination and parliamentary oversight to improve access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene services across the province.
The meeting, chaired by WASH Caucus Chairman and MPA Kabeer Khan, was attended by Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and Chief Whip Akbar Ayub Khan as special guests, along with lawmakers, government officials, UNICEF representatives, development partners and private-sector organisations.
Participants reviewed the province’s current water, sanitation and hygiene situation and discussed challenges, policy and legislative matters and a joint roadmap for future action. They also put forward proposals for improving services and strengthening coordination among relevant institutions.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr Swati said water, sanitation and hygiene were closely linked to people’s quality of life and basic needs. He stressed the need for sustained cooperation between the provincial assembly, government departments and national and international development organisations to address longstanding challenges in the sector.
He urged government institutions to establish an effective coordination mechanism for WASH-related matters, saying the caucus should go beyond being a discussion forum and serve as a platform for practical initiatives, policy development and resolution of public issues. Chief Whip Akbar Ayub Khan said stronger institutional coordination was essential to achieving tangible improvements in the WASH sector. He said the caucus could bring relevant stakeholders together to identify problems and develop a coordinated strategy for addressing them.
WASH Caucus Chairman Kabeer Khan described the establishment of the parliamentary caucus as an important initiative, saying it would help bring water, sanitation and hygiene issues to the centre of parliamentary debate and oversight.
He said the first meeting was introductory, but regular meetings would be held to turn the caucus’s objectives into practical measures. He also appreciated the Planning and Development Department, WASH Network and other partners for sharing information and recommendations on the sector.
Secretary KP Assembly and Secretary WASH Caucus Syed Wiqar Shah said the provincial assembly had established the dedicated parliamentary caucus for WASH for the first time. He said the caucus would review the quality and implementation of services, identify gaps in existing policies and laws and recommend amendments or new legislation where necessary. He said the caucus would examine WASH-related issues in phases, with future meetings reviewing relevant provincial policies and laws and identifying legal and administrative shortcomings.
Senior Coordinator WASH Caucus Nosheen Khan said the meeting marked an important beginning for parliamentary efforts to address WASH challenges. She said a comprehensive action plan would be prepared with the participation of relevant stakeholders to develop practical and sustainable solutions.
The participants agreed to maintain coordination among parliamentarians, government departments and development organisations to improve access to clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene facilities across the province.
