PESHAWAR:
Lawmakers on Friday addressed the issue of poor internet connectivity for students in remote areas of the province, noting that the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic means online classes are the only means for students get education today.
This was discussed when the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly resumed on Friday to debate the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2020-21.
The AMPs raised questions about online classes in the province. They urged the provincial government to ensure that students have access to 3G and 4G networks, especially in the merged districts, so that they can access classes.
They further regretted that a girls’ school built in the tribal district of Mohmand is yet to start functioning even though its structure was completed years ago.
During the debate on the supplementary budget for fiscal year 2019-20 worth Rs 55.42 billion, the issue of laptop plan was raised.
Opposition legislators including Nighat Orakzai of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Maulana Lutfur Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Inyatullah Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Mir Kalam Wazir , Shafiq Afridi, Baseerat Bibi, Khushdil Khan, Shagufta Malik and others said that a In the budget In addition, a huge sum has been allocated to the IT sector to provide laptops to teachers.
They pointed out that if teachers can be provided with laptops, then what about the students and called for greater transparency in the programme.
Opposition benches also expressed concern about the plight of inmates in jails across the province during the pandemic. They criticized the government for losing control of the bureaucracy.
Police reforms
Following Vice President Mahmood Khan’s instructions that a senior police officer attend the assembly proceedings, an SP-level officer arrived at the assembly on Friday.
However, the vice president did not allow him to enter the session because he expressed his anger at the absence of senior officials.
He then directed a DIG level officer to attend the session.
Later, Peshawar CCPO Ali Gandapur visited the assembly hall and marked his presence.
Lawmakers from all parties pointed to the need for police reforms. They also asked the CCPO to explain reports of extrajudicial killings and harassment of citizens at checkpoints established across the province.
Opposition members expressed reservations about the inactive status of the public safety commission. With no checks and balances in the department, they claimed the police were doing what they want.
The secretary of the Ministry of the Interior was also accused of deliberately delaying the process of activating the commission. Opposition lawmakers also pointed to the incident in the Zangi area, where a motorcyclist died after failing to stop at a checkpoint.
Discriminatory assignments
Shafiq Afridi of the Khyber tribal district accused the government of dividing development funds based on the personal likes and dislikes of finance ministers and chief ministers. Furthermore, he claimed that legislators from the merged districts have been completely ignored.
Published in The Express PAkGazette, June 27th2020.
