PESHAWAR: The combined opposition, which boycotted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session on Monday, hinted at bringing another no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.

“Opposition parties can file another no-trust motion against the chief minister if need be,” opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman told reporters after boycotting the session.

The opposition parties, including Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Quami Watan Party, Awami National Party and Pakistan People’s Party, had filed a no-trust motion against the chief minister on August 19. However, they later withdrew it as a goodwill gesture.

Know more: Khattak not to dissolve assembly

Rehman said previously, the no-trust motion against the chief minister was filed for saving the provincial assembly from dissolution but that time around, the opposition could submit a fresh motion to dislodge the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government.

The opposition members left the house shortly after the proceedings began.

Rehman took the floor on a point of order after recitation from the holy Quran and complained the attitude of the treasury members in the previous sitting was hostile, which caused commotion.

Boycotts assembly against treasury’s ‘hostile’ attitude

He held the PTI MPAs responsible for the October 30 pandemonium in the house.

The opposition leader alleged that PTI lawmakers had bulldosed values and traditions of the house by using derogatory and unparliamentary language against lawmakers of the opposition benches, especially women.

He said the ruling parties were morally and ethically bound to listen to the opposition in the assembly.

“The opposition will expose conspiracies against democracy,” he said.

Later, Rehman and other opposition lawmakers walked out of the assembly hall to boycott the proceedings. The house echoed with ‘go Nawaz go’ and ‘go Imran go’ slogans.

On the occasion, senior minister Inayatullah Khan, who belongs to Jamaat-i-Islami, took the floor and regretted unpleasant atmosphere in the house.

He said the treasury and the opposition had a collective responsibility to run the assembly.

Speaker Asad Qaisar, who was in the chair, directed ministers to go to the opposition leader’s chamber and persuade him and other opposition members to end the boycott.

The opposition leader had left his chamber before the ministers reached there.

Trouble had marred the proceedings on October 30 when Rehman passed offensive remarks against woman workers of PTI and said daughters of the nation were made to dance in sit-ins.

LEGISLATION: In the absence of the opposition, the assembly passed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2014, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2014 and the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) (Amendment) Bill, 2014.

The chair later adjourned the sitting until today (Tuesday).

Published in Dawn, November 11th , 2014