Opp MPs ignored in mosques’ solarization project: ANP MPA
Abdul Hakeem Mohmand
PESHAWAR
The issue of excessive, unscheduled and unannounced electricity loadshedding echoed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly as lawmakers from the opposition strongly flayed the issue and called for an end to the power outages in the province.
The ANP’s parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak said that excessive loadshedding continues unabated across the province but the government members were absent from the house to debate on the issue. “Is there no loadshedding in the constituencies of government members?” Babak asked.
All electric appliances fail to function due to the low voltage across the province, he told the house. “Now as the PTI is in power in the province and centre so it needs to resolve this longstanding problem once and for all,” Babak said.
He claimed the constitution has given the right to the province to fix the electricity rates but people despite being deprived of light daily for most of the hours, are forced to pay hefty bills. “Leave alone overbilling, the people in KP have been subjected to massive loadshedding despite the province being generating the cheapest electricity and providing it to the rest of the country,” the former minster said. “The PTI policies have turned its supporters into its worst critics,” he said, demanding that the Wapda House should be shifted from Lahore to Islamabad.
Other legislators also raised the pressing problem of loadshedding. The assembly’s session was adjourned on a note that the electricity issue will be taken up at the next meeting.
Another ANP’s lawmaker, Khushdil Khan, pointed out that the provincial government had launched a project to install solar panels in about 4000 mosques in the province but constituencies represented by opposition MPs were completely ignored from this facility. “This project has been included in ADP and every member, whether from government or opposition, has equal right on it. “Can any minister inform that there are no mosques in constituencies of opposition members,” Khushdil Khan asked and vowed to continue his struggle for the rights of people of his area.
He said that the government follows policies of nepotism, cronyism and favouritism, pointing out that even PTI’s members of National Assembly have been given funds from the provincial pool to install solar panels at mosques in their areas. “The so-called slogan of justice for all turned out to be hollow and shallow.
According to Khushdil Khan, his only fault was that he had defeated the present governor Shah Farman in general elections. “If justice is not dispensed, I would file a writ petition in the High Court,” he warned. Similar claims were made by other opposition parties.
Replying to opposition’s queries, law minister Sultan Muhammad Khan said that the project of the mosques’ solarization was started by the previous government. He said that solar systems would be installed in 4,000 mosques across the province. “Mosques should not be politicized,” he said, adding that all issues will be resolved on the assembly’s floor.”On point of order, JUI-F MP, Islamuddin said that landmines had been laid in Badar area of South Waziristan that had caused several deaths. He said a number of cattle also got killed due to landmines, demanding that the area should immediately be cleared from it. Nigat Orakzai along with other female opposition MPAs walked out from the house, complaining that no female MP was made a member of the public accounts committee (PAC). She also announced to resign from population welfare committee’s chairmanship.
The meeting of KP Assembly was adjourned till the August 31.
