MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly turned tense as the opposition members protested due to the absence of most government ministers.
The session was held under the chairmanship of Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar in Muzaffarabad today.
The opposition strongly protested over the presence of only one minister, Qasim Majeed, on the government benches, terming the absence of other ministers an insult to the House.
Heated exchanges followed between the Speaker and Pakistan Muslim League (N) President Shah Ghulam Qadir.
Shah Ghulam Qadir stated that it was the Speaker’s responsibility to summon ministers, to which the Speaker replied that if proceedings could not continue due to the absence of ministers, the session might have to be adjourned.
The Finance Minister also suggested adjourning the session.
Former Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider harshly criticized the government and said that the government does not take the House seriously, ministers do not come to the House, and are reluctant to answer public questions.
He raised the question, “Why is the government running away? It has not done anything yet.”
Former premier Anwarul Haq and other members also protested the absence of ministers and secretaries.
Anwarul Haq said that meetings are called after spending crores of rupees, but there is no one to answer. He gave the Finance Minister ten minutes to present the relevant notification in the House.
During the meeting, there was a heated discussion on the issuance of tenders, measures without notification, and development projects. MLA Waqar Noor raised the question of how tenders were issued without notification.
Finance Minister Qasim Majeed said that if the Accountability Bureau Act is applied, it will be applied, public money will have to be accounted for.
Upgradation of educational institutions
The issue of the upgradation of educational institutions was also discussed in the House. Mir Akbar raised the question of whether a high school can be directly given the status of a degree college?
The Speaker of the Assembly remarked that this is not possible according to the law.
Minister of Colleges and other members criticized each other on the establishment of colleges and policy issues in previous periods. Mir Akbar claimed that in the past, notifications for eleven colleges were issued in a single day.
The funds given to state newspapers and social media also became a topic of discussion. Khawaja Farooq said that forty percent of the budget was given to state newspapers, and sought an explanation on the distribution of funds of Rs. 18 crore.
He raised the question of how much money was given to which individuals and institutions in the name of social media.
There was also a protest in the House on the issue of the rights of Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan. Javed Butt said that the agreement made with the refugees has not been implemented despite the passage of eight months, and injustice is being done in the provision of funds.
He announced a protest on the floor and demanded the restoration of the rights of the refugees.
During the session, a light smile was exchanged between former Prime Minister Anwarul Haq and former Finance Minister Waqar Noor. It was also observed that both opposition members left their seats and sat in the back seats to strategise.
The meeting witnessed heated discussions on important issues like government performance, development policy, upgradation of educational institutions, media funding, and rights of refugees.
At times, the Speaker of the Assembly was seen looking helpless while the opposition alleged that the Speaker was defending the government’s position.
The atmosphere remained tense throughout the proceedings of the House, and proposals to adjourn the session were made several times.
