The provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has unanimously demanded of the federal government for withdrawal of airport tax on expatriate Pakistanis with immediate effect. The resolution presented Sikandar Khan Sherpao, parliamentary leader of Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) in the house on Friday was also signed by Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao of Qaumi Watan Party was also carrying the signatures of Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi, Shah Hussain (JUI-F), Syed Jaffar Shah (ANP), Saleem Khan (PPP), Saeed Gul (JI), Mohammad Ali Khan (AJI) and Bakht Baidar Khan of QWP.
The resolution said that federal government has imposed airport tax on expatriate Pakistanis, which are earning huge foreign exchange for the country. Therefore, he called for the immediate withdrawal of the tax. The Speaker, Asad Qaiser put the resolution to vote and the house adopted it unanimously.
Earlier, the Speaker relaxed rules of the proceedings of the house to allow the member to present the resolution. The house also referred the joint call attention notice of the Shah Hussain of JUI-F and Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha to the house committee regarding the misleading of the people through provision of wrong information through different departments under Right to Information (RTI) Act. However, after getting assurance from the Advisor to CM on Environment, Ishtiaq Urmar, Zarin Gul, a JUI-F did not press for referring his call attention notice regarding increasing government share in cut timber from 20% to 40%.
Zarin Gul said that in 2012, the government fixed its 20% share in the illegally cut timber while a cabinet meeting held on June 15, 2015 decided to increase the share of government in such timber of Torghar at 40%, which was earlier part of District Mansehra. Therefore, he termed the fixation of 40% share of government in Torghar as sheer injustice and unbearable for the residents of the area.
He requested the government for review over the policy and fixing 20% share for government as per earlier decision to provide justice to the people and remove prevailing uncertainty among the people. In response to the call attention notice of Zarin Gul, the Advisor to CM on Environment, Ishtiaq Urmar said that a committee in this regard is holding meeting within next 15 days where the issue will be reviewed.
Meanwhile, Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi presented the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Provincial Services Academy (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) (Amendment) Bill, 2015 while Senior Minister for Health, Shahram Khan presented the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation Bill, 2015 and Provincial Minister for Information presented the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Journalists Welfare Endowment Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2015 in the house. Later, the Speaker, Asad Qaiser adjourned the proceedings of the house till 3:00 pm of October 5, 2015.