PESHAWAR - The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday witnessed rumpus, after opposition, mainly lawmakers from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Awami National Party (ANP) chanted “Go Imran, Go” over the lack of quorum in the assembly, where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) enjoys majority.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly met with Deputy Speaker Dr Mehar Taj Roghani in the chair after a break of two days. The proceedings of the House began at 10:35am, instead of 10am, the scheduled time.

As per the agenda, the proceedings began with the question hour and several questions regarding the Department of Environment were disposed of.

However, a question of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker Sardar Hussain, about job quota of district Chitral in the Forest Department, was handed over to the concerned standing committee. The situation, however, turned worse when the PPP legislator from Upper Dir Sanaullah demanded an inquiry into irregularities in recruitment in Forest Department in Upper and Lower Dir.

He alleged that though the minimum qualification required for applicants was FSc, the provincial government in violation of merit had recruited matriculates.

On this occasion, the PTI’s parliamentary secretary Fazal Elahi Khan rejected the allegations of violation.

He said that the minimum required qualification was matric with science subjects. So there was no violation of merit in the recruitment, he added.

Sanaullah asked the chair to refer the issue to the standing committee on environment. However, Qaumi Watan Party’s (QWP) MPA Meraj Hamayun stood up and complained that most of the house committees were ineffective and redundant and holding no regular meetings.

At this stage, he also pointed the lack of quorum; however, the deputy speaker directed counting. The lack of quorum and absence of PTI legislators from the House triggered protest by the PML-N and ANP legislators and others.

The opposition lawmakers said that they had submitted a number of very important questions. But unfortunately, who would reply about as there were only nine MPAs from the treasury benches.

The PML-N parliamentary leader Aurangzeb Nalota said that government should stop salaries to those who were not attending the session especially the ministers and parliamentary secretaries.

The joint opposition including the PML-N and ANP and others on this occasion chanted slogan ‘Go, Imran Go’. At this stage, among a total of 28 MPAs, only nine were from treasury benches. Meanwhile, PTI’s only lawmaker Fazli Elahi Khan was present to defend the government, the rest of eight were from JI and QWP, allied parties in the KP government led by the PTI.

The chair tried to bring the situation under control but could not. Leaving the agenda unaddressed, she, however, called for counting of the members and after finding the lack of quorum, the deputy speaker adjourned the proceedings of the house till 3pm on coming Tuesday.