The 14-member ‘forward bloc’ led by PTI MPA Qurban Ali Khan from Nowshera had walked out from the assembly proceedings in protest against what they called ‘false and fabricated’ campaign against Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi.
They threatened to boycott the budget session if their grievances were not addressed and the elements behind the smear campaign against the deputy speaker and his family were not exposed.
Though Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser formed a committee to probe the matter, the disgruntled PTI lawmakers didn’t end the protest and stayed away from the assembly business.
In the 124-member House, the PTI and its coalition partners, Jamaat-e-Islami and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan, enjoy the support of 69 members including an independent MPA Jamshed Mohmand. It would be difficult for the treasury benches to pass the budget if the 14 PTI dissidents stick to their guns.
On the other hand, the five-party opposition benches would definitely give a tough time to the government as the 10-member Qaumi Watan Party would be more aggressive against Chief Minister Pervez Khattak-led government as the Aftab Sherpao-headed party was part of the treasury benches during the last budget session in 2013.
When contacted, Qurban Ali Khan said that they had not taken any step against the party manifesto or their own government in the provincial assembly, but had sought justice for Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi.
“We are waiting for Imran Khan’s return to the country and the decision of the committee formed by the speaker. We have no trust in some of the government functionaries,” said Qurban Khan, who was elected to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from PK-16 Nowshera.
No comments:
Post a Comment