PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly passed the KP Ehtesab Commission (Amendment) Bill 2016 on Wednesday.
Ruling party in the KP, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) insisted that the bill was passed to further strengthen accountability process in the province. As per the amendments, the KP Ehtesab Commission would investigate those cases involving financial loss, amounting to at least Rs 50 million, to the provincial exchequer.
In case the amount is less than Rs 50 million, then the matter would be inquired and investigated by the Anti-Corruption Establishment. The inquiry shall be completed within a period of 60 days followed by investigation which shall be completed within 90 days, fixed for the inquiry and collection of sufficient evidence. The inquiry shall be converted into investigation with the approval of the director general within that time frame as well.
Furthermore, where the inquiry or investigation is not completed within the required period, the director general, on the request of the inquiry officer may extend the period of inquiry or investigation for a further period of 60 and 90 days respectively, after giving reasons in writing.
The amendment bill was presented in the assembly in May this year and along with it two legislators also proposed amendment for consideration of a select committee headed by KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.
Other members of the committee included provincial ministers, Inayatullah Khan, Sikandar Hayat Khan, Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi, Shah Farman and Dr Meher Taj Roghani, while Leader of Opposition Mualana Lutf-ur-Rehman, Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha and Syed Jaffar Shah represented opposition in the committee.
Regarding the criticism of the opposition over exempting investigation into ongoing schemes by the Ehtesab Commission, the chief minister who was also attending the proceedings of the house clarified that ongoing schemes are not exempted from the ambit of the commission and in case of any complaint, action will be taken.
However, he said that work on going scheme will not be stopped. Taking the floor, Provincial Minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE) Shah Farman said that the amendments passed by the house will further strengthened the Ehtesab Commission and now it can arrest anyone as it is more powerful than the provincial government.
He said that now no one would accuse the provincial government for victimisation. He congratulated the provincial government on the passage of the amendment bill. He said that the amendment proposed by Zarin Gul of Search Results
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUIF) has been included in the bill while the proposed amendment of Syed Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha will be also considered. Earlier, the house rejected the disapproval resolution of Aamna Sardar of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) on the Galiyat Development Authority Ordinance 2016 with majority vote. At the end Speaker Asad Qaiser announced adjournment of the house proceedings till 3pm of Friday.
