PESHAWAR: A ruling party member from Khyber district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday claimed that militants had resurfaced in Tirah Valley and other tribal districts where the security forces had launched operations and displaced thousands of people from their homes.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Abdul Ghani Afridi said on a point order that hundreds of families were displaced from remote Tirah Valley ahead of possible operations there against alleged militants but neither the area was cleared of militants nor the displaced people were sent back to their homes in Tirah.
“The miscreants and armed men are once again appearing and organizing themselves in the valley and if proper steps were not taken against them, they can reach Peshawar city in future,” he said.
The legislator added that handful of militants were even producing and sharing videos on social media while wandering openly on the roads in parts of Khyber district.
He said that Akakhel was peace-loving and patriotic tribe but the frequent drone attacks and insecurity in their areas had compelled them to shift to peaceful area in Peshawar and other parts of country.
The MPA said that proper arrangements should be made for early return of the displaced people to their home towns in the Tirah Valley.Deputy Speaker Suriya Bibi chaired the assembly session that started two hours behind schedule.
Another PTI MPA from Peshawar Sher Ali Afridi also expressed his concern over deteriorating law and order situation in his constituency Hasankhel tehsil.He said that the local police and the government had failed to establish its writ in the area.
“The drone attacks, robberies and lawlessness in Hasankhel tehsil, Peshawar had made life miserable for the residents,” he said and asked the provincial government to take practical steps for improving law and order in his constituency.
After taking a few questions, the Question-Hour was deferred for the other day as the relevant minister was not present in the House. Most of the questions related to Local Government and Rural Development Department.
On a point of order , Awami National Party MPA and Chairman standing Committee on Finance, Arbab Usman Khan, said that officials from Finance Department had not been taking interest in The Finance Committee matters for the last one year to brief the committee members on issues related to their department.
He said that the budget session was about two months away but the committee members had not briefed them on revenues and expenditures of the current financial year.The deputy speaker directed the Finance Department to present detailed report and deliver a briefing on issues related to finance at the earliest.
Pakistan People’s Party parliamentary leader Ahmad Karim Kundi and other members expressed reservations over the transparency of funds meant for repairs and installation of electricity transformers in the province.
The PPP MPA said that the provincial government had allocated about Rs 50 million for the repairs and installation of electricity transfers to each MPA for their respective constituency but in his constituency in Dera Ismail Khan about 13 transformers were repaired through his fund that were not located in his constituency.
Jamiat Ulema Islam-F MPA Adnan Wazir from Bannu said that he was not aware of fund being spent on the repairs of electricity transformers in his constituency, saying that under the rules MPA permission and certificate was required for repair of transformers.
He claimed that most of the transformers are being repaired and installed on self-helf basis and even making contribution from the local consumers.PTI MPAs from Upper Dir Mohammad Anwar Khan and Liaqat Ali said that the mobile phone and internet sevices in parts of Upper and Lower Dir districts were either weak or suspended due to which the local people could not communicate with their relatives living outside the country.
They said that local people, particularly students, faced multiple problems due to lack mobile phone and internet services in their areas.The provincial assembly members expressed anger at what they called prolonged and unscheduled electricity load shedding in most parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The session was adjourned till Tuesday afternoon.
