KP Speaker Chairs Meeting Called To Discuss Modus Operandi For Upcoming Budget

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani Friday presided over a meeting of all parliamentary leaders, minister and advisors called in connection with upcoming fiscal budget 2020-21 here at Assembly Secretariat

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jun, 2020 ) :Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani Friday presided over a meeting of all parliamentary leaders, minister and advisors called in connection with upcoming fiscal budget 2020-21 here at Assembly Secretariat.

The meeting was attended by Sultan Khan, Kamran Bangash, Shaukat Yousufzai, Taimur Salim Jhagra, Akbar Ayub from treasury benches while from opposition benches, Sher Azam Wazir, Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Sardar Hussain Babak, Mufti Ubaid Ur Rehman, Bilawal Afridi and Sardar Yousuf.

The meeting started with prayers and Fateha for the departed souls of MPA Jamshed Kakakhel, MNA Munir Orakzai and people associated with journalism, health and other sectors who died of coronavirus infection.

The meeting discussed in detail timing and modus operandi for the upcoming provincial budget 2020-21 and agreed upon that owing to current circumstances sanitizing walkthrough gates would be installed at entry point of the assembly building.

It was also decided that members of the assembly could only bring drivers with them and no guard or other staff would be allowed to accompany the MPA inside the building.

All the MPAs must wear safety facemask and before the budget session their corona tests would be conducted. Only MPAs with negative test report for coronavirus would be allowed in the session. All the MPAs would be seated at proper distance in the guests' galleries under corona protocol.

The session would start on June 19 and continue till June 28 while June 20-21 will be the off days.

The session would also continue on Saturday and Sunday. It was decided that budget session would start at 02:00 p.m. and continue till 05:00 p.m.

The meeting agreed upon that all parliamentary leaders would be allowed to make speech on budget for 15 minutes while other members would be allowed five minutes to speak on budget. No time wasting activity would be allowed during budget session.

Owing to the current circumstances and threats of coronavirus spread, no irrelevant person, guest or media person would be allowed, the meeting decided.

At the occasion it was also decided that no entertainment would be allowed in the session and MPAs attending the session would have to strictly follow the SOPs for coronavirus.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Taimur Salim Jhagra informed that it was a plan to present a paperless budget this time but due to current situation the practice would be introduced next year.

Commenting on a news item published in a local newspaper regarding taking personal benefits through dissolution of standing committees by the provincial assembly speaker, Mushtaq Ghani termed the news as baseless, saying, it was decided on a motion of MPA Shafiq Afridi in which the lawmaker demanded representation of tribal districts in the committees as the number of assembly members was increased after the merger of tribal districts. Now, the speaker added, the standing committees would be formed with the consultation of opposition parties.