Opposition Members Accuses Ministers’ Absence In KP Assembly

The opposition members in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly pointed out the continuous absence and lack of interest shown by provincial government ministers in the Assembly

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Sep, 2025) The opposition members in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly pointed out the continuous absence and lack of interest shown by provincial government ministers in the Assembly.

In response, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati expressed displeasure over the ministers' non-attendance and referred questions related to the Irrigation Department to the Standing Committee.

The Assembly session, held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, began with the recitation of the Holy Quran. During the question hour, PPP Parliamentary Leader Ahmed Kundi pointed out that most of the ministers from the ruling PTI were absent.

He reminded the Speaker that it had been decided earlier that if a minister is absent, questions related to their departments would be referred to standing committees. He questioned how ministers could be held accountable if they are not present or interested in Assembly proceedings.

Addressing the Law Minister, the Speaker said, "How long will you carry the burden of all departments alone? We have ignored this for too long. I had given a ruling earlier that if a minister is absent without a valid excuse, the questions would be sent to the Standing Committee."

In response, Law Minister Aftab Alam admitted the situation was problematic and said "what you're saying is true, but it’s also regretful."

He added that parliamentary secretaries have been notified, but there are coordination issues at the departmental level. If the secretaries are not present, then the ministers themselves must respond.

Subsequently, the Speaker referred four questions related to the Irrigation Department to the relevant Standing Committee and ruled that in future, ministers must be present during their question hour to satisfy the members. If they are not, their parliamentary secretaries must fulfill their responsibilities. Otherwise, questions will be forwarded to committees without any discussion.

The Speaker replied that Jalal Khan's statements always disturb the House and added "You want to be removed from the House because you’ve received orders from above but we will bring you under discipline."

Speaker Salim Swati also expressed his anger at senior bureaucrats for not sharing personal information, citing security concerns. The issue arose during a question posed by PML-N MPA Sobia Shahid, who claimed that government flats are not being allotted to eligible officers. She said that, based on her information, the flats had been allotted to officers of grade 14 to 16.

PPP’s Ahmed Kundi stated that government officers are gazetted officials, and no personal data was asked for only official information. He pointed out hiding behind "security" as a new trend and said the sanctity of the Assembly should be respected.

Speaker Swati questioned whether the government had issued any official notification declaring such flat allotments as classified and added “Don't make a joke of this. Everyone knows where the CM, Governor, IG, and Chief Secretary live. If you're going to waste the Assembly’s time with nonsense like this, that’s not acceptable.”

Law Minister Aftab Alam responded that the question was about flats, not homes, and that personal information related to officers' flats could pose a security risk. The Speaker, unsatisfied with the response, referred the matter to the Standing Committee.

Speaker Babar Saleem Swati remarked that HESCO and PESCO have become business entities operating under the government’s umbrella. He said that when the government releases development funds, there should also be a clear timeframe for project completion.

During the session, government MPA Taj Mohammad Khan presented a call attention Nlnotice, saying that the current government had released funds to each district for electricity and gas projects, but many DCs transferred the schemes to WAPDA, and even after months, WAPDA had not provided necessary materials, delaying public access to electricity.

Revenue Minister Nazir Abbasi said that work in Hazara and Swat is not possible during winters, which leads to funds being lapsed. He suggested calling the HESCO and PESCO chiefs to the Assembly to explain.

PPP’s Ahmed Kundi proposed referring the matter to the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) forum. Law Minister Aftab Alam explained that the Hazara Electric Supply Company (HESCO) was recently established and earlier fund transfers were delayed because PESCO did not operate in Hazara. He cited an August 26 letter confirming that over Rs. 681 million had now been transferred to HESCO and assured that funds for development work would be released soon.

The Speaker reiterated that these companies are businesses selling services under government protection and stressed that a clear timeline must accompany funding. He questioned whether the Energy and Power Department held any responsibility in this matter. The issue was then referred to the Standing Committee.

Meanwhile, MPA Ehsanullah raised a call attention notice, stating that in public degree colleges, BS examinations are both set and checked by the same teachers, which raises concerns over transparency. He suggested forming an independent body, similar to the Educational Boards, to regulate exam setting and checking procedures.

Due to the absence of the relevant minister, the notice was deferred to the Standing Committee.

APP/fam