116 MPAs of 15th NWFP Assembly sworn in amid tight security; Speaker, Deputy Speaker elected

PESHAWAR: As many as 116 members of the 15th NWFP Assembly were Friday sworn in under the 1973 Constitution at the inaugural session of the Provincial Assembly that was presided over by senior MPA elect Arbab Ayub Jan.The house unanimously passed a resolution demanding of the government to conduct inquiry into the murder of Benazir Bhutto by the United Nations. Abdul Akbar Khan of PPP moved the resolution. It also paid great homage and tributes to the leadership of the former Chairperson of PPP who sacrificed her life for the supremacy of parliament, judiciary and media.The oath was administered in three languages Urdu, English and Pushto. At the outset of the proceedings, Israrullah Khan Gandapur sought attention of the chair about the oath and asked whether we are taking oath under the PCO or the 1973 Constitution.
The Speaker ruled that the oath is being administered under Article 65 of the Constitution read with article rules number 6. The Governor has summoned the session under article 109 of the Constitution. However the mover was adamant on his point of order while referring to the text of the oath.
Anwar Saifullah Khan MPA elect from two constituencies from Lakki Marwat was the lone absentee from the oath taking. The NWFP Assembly is consisted of 99 general seats, 22 women reserved seats and three minorities.
After recitation from Holy Quran, Attiqur Rehman from Hangu and Qalbe Hassan from Kohat drew attention of the hose towards ongoing unrest in their districts where according to them curfew has been imposed following bloody clashes between the Katchai and Mishti tribes. To protest their grievances, both the MPAs said that they are not taking oath today as a protest and walked out of the assembly Hall.
However, the chair directed Bashir Ahmed Bilour, Pervez Khattak and Rahimdad Khan to bring back the MPAs in the house. After some they ended their boycott and took oath of their office.
Since no member of the house filed papers for contesting the election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, therefore the nominees of PPPP Karamatullah Khan Chagarmatti and ANP’s Khushdil Khan were elected unopposed against these coveted posts.
Hafiz Akhtar Ali of MMA offered dua for the slain leader of PPP Benazir Bhutto and prayed to Allah Almighty to rest her soul in eternal peace. The house also prayed for eternal peace of assassinated MPA late Pir Muhammad Khan who died in a bomb blast at the residence of Amir Muqam, PML (Q) candidate Asfandyar Amir Zeb who died in blast at Swat during electioneering, Alhaj Ayaz Khan Malang died of cardiac arrest and Farid Khan who died from his own pistol while cleaning it.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain of ANP objected over the assembly proceedings held before the oath taking and said how point of order could be raised when we have not taken the oath of the office. He said the members could raise their point of order and problems after the oath was administered. A number of the MPAs raised point of order before oath taking and referred to problems of their areas mostly related to law and order situation.
After the oath taking, the MPAs signed the roll of honour constituency wise starting from PF-Peshawar-I.
The MPAs elect had worn black ribbons around their arms with photo of slain Benazir Bhutto to protest her killing during election campaign on December 27 last at Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi.
Some of the enthusiastic PPP legislators shouted slogans of ‘Jiay Bhutto’, after the oath was administered, which was followed by the ANP law makers who shouted slogans of Baacha Khan Zindabad and then the JUI (F) MPAs also resorted to slogans in favour their party leaders.
Attiqur Rehman independent MPA from Hangu was the first stood up on a point of order in the house soon after recitation from Holy Quran painted extremely dismal law and order picture of his home district Hangu where curfew is imposed for the last couple of days following eruption of tension between rival ethnic factions.
He said, the government has failed to maintain its writ in the district and army troops have been called in to control the situation despite the fact pact have been inked with the parties.
He announced on the floor of the house that he would not take oath today as a protest against lawlessness in his district and walked out of the assembly hall.
Taking the floor, independent member Qalbe Hassan hailing from Kohat also took to task the provincial government for its failure to maintain public order in Katchai and Mishti area of Kohat district where fighting was on between two rival groups for the last couple of days.
He said lot of blood has been shed in these areas and there was nobody to control the situation. He also walked out of the assembly hall as a protest and declined to take oath today.
Taking the floor Parliamentary leader of ANP Bashir Ahmed Bilour said the new coalition government in the province would settle all the matters with consensus and mutual understanding of which improving law and order situation will top the priority list. He said ANP believed in non-violence and late Khudai Khidmatgar was the staunch propagator of the same philosophy.
Speaker while congratulating the MPAs over their elections as member of the house said, that they should pray to God Almighty to give them the strength and the courage to solve problems of the poor people “We are not the ruler we are the servant of the people”, he said.
Newly unopposed elected Speaker Karamattullah Khan Chagarmatti and Deputy Speaker Khushdil Khan will take oath of their offices on March 29 (Saturday). No candidate from the opposition parties had filed papers for contesting against these slots by scheduled time i.e. 1200 noon Friday ( March 28).