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 of access for students now.
This was discussed as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly resumed on Friday to discuss the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2020-21.
MPAs have raised questions about online classes in the province. They urged the provincial government to ensure students have access to 3G and 4G networks, especially in compact areas, so that they can access classes.
Moreover, they regretted that the girls’ college built in Mohmand tribal district has not yet started functioning even though its structure was completed years ago.
During the discussion of the Rs 55.42 billion supplementary budget for FY 2019-20, the issue of laptop scheme was raised.
The opposition legislators including Nighat Orakzai of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Maulana Lutfur Rahman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl, Enayatullah Khan of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Mir Kalam Wazir, Shafiq Afridi and Basira Bibi. Khushdil Khan, Shugufta Malik and others said that a large amount has been allocated to the IT sector in the supplementary budget to provide laptops to teachers.
They noted that if laptops could be provided to teachers, what about students and called for more transparency in the programme.
Opposition benches have also raised concerns about the plight of inmates in prisons across the province during the pandemic. They criticized the government for losing control of the bureaucracy.
Police reforms
On the directions of Deputy Speaker Mahmood Khan in the presence of a senior police officer for the Assembly proceedings, an SP level officer reached the Assembly on Friday.
But the Deputy Speaker of the Council did not allow him to enter the session, expressing his anger at the absence of senior officers.
He then directed an official at the Executive Directorate level to attend the session.
Later, Peshawar CCPO Ali Gandapur visited the Assembly lobby and celebrated his presence.
Lawmakers from across the aisle have pointed to the need for police reforms. They also asked the CCPO to explain reports of extrajudicial killings and harassment of citizens at checkpoints set up across the province.
Opposition members expressed reservations about putting the Public Safety Committee into hibernation. With no check and balance in the administration, they claimed that the police do whatever they want.
He also accused the Minister of Interior of deliberately delaying the process of activating the authority. Opposition MPs also referred to the accident that occurred in the Zengi area where a motorcyclist was killed when he failed to stop at a checkpoint.
Discriminatory allocations
Shafiq Afridi from Khyber tribal region accused the government of dividing development funds on the basis of personal likes and dislikes of ministers and the prime minister. Moreover, he said that the IC legislator had been completely ignored.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27y2020.