PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s government in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has decided to lodge an FIR in the province against Islamabad police chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi and 600 unidentified people under Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, for “illegally raiding” the KP House in the federal capital.

The decision was made during a cabinet meeting with Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur in the chair, according to an official statement issued here on Thursday.

It added that the charges against the police chief and other accused would include the “trespassing of the KP House, damage to installations and fixtures, violation of the privacies of residents, particularly the families of employees, thefts and other crimes.”

“Since such complaints regarding the raid on KP House have already been filed with the relevant courts in Islamabad, the KP government will register the case within the province’s territorial jurisdiction,” read the official statement.

Cabinet also okays draft law amendment to declare CM varsities’ chancellor, VC appointing authority

On Oct 7, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur claimed that he was present at the KP House in Islamabad when the Islamabad police and Rangers “attacked”the premises during a PTI protest in the capital citylast month.

The cabinet also approved proposed amendments to the KP Universities Act, 2012, for their presentation before the provincial assembly besides some minor changes related to the administrative functions of the public sector universities in the province.

The major proposed amendments included the designation of the chief minister as the chancellor as well as appointing authority for vice chancellors of universities.

They also set the vice chancellors’ tenure at four years subject to a mid-tenure review by a performance evaluation committee to be constituted by the government.

Under the draft amendments, it will be mandatory to appoint only women candidates as vice chancellors in the women’s universities of the province.

The cabinet approved the draft Agriculture Income Tax Act, 2024, for tabling in the provincial assembly for enactment and, if approved, will come into force from January 2025.

During discussions with the federal board of revenue and the International Monetary Fund, the need to levy agriculture income tax on companies (both small and others) involved in corporate agriculture was highlighted.

Additionally, the introduction of measures such as a “super tax” on high-earning individuals and companies, and penalties for mis-declaration and non-submission of agriculture income tax returns was necessary, according to the statement.

The cabinet, in order to provide legal cover for these measures, decided to draft the Agriculture Income Tax Act, 2024, to repeal KP Land and Agriculture Income Tax Ordinance, 2000.

It approved a framework agreement between Provincial Housing Authority Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation for constructing a low-cost housing scheme in Surizai area of Peshawar district with 8,000 grey-structure houses and 5,000 apartments over 8,500 kanals of land.

The cabinet also approved an increase in the project cost from Rs243.531 million to Rs325.271 million for the “construction, repair and maintenance workshop for the WSSP Solid Waste Management Equipment and Machinery Peshawar.”

It approved the cost enhancement for the reconstruction of Women and Children Liaqat Memorial Teaching Hospital in Kohat district.

The cabinet sanctioned the provision of funds under Sehat Card Plus Programme with an initial allocation of Rs500 million for the treatment of diseases currently not covered under the initiative.

Additionally, a grant in aid of Rs10 million was approved for the Rukhsana Mother and Child Trust Hospital Peshawar.

The cabinet approved regular annual funding as a grant in aid for KP Blood Transfusion Authority and sanctioned an annual grant in aid of Rs10 million for the Fatimid Foundation for the fiscal year 2024-25 as well as the Medical Financial Assistance of Rs3 million for resident Kausar Samrin to cover her kidney treatment.

Furthermore, Rs200 million seed moneywas approved for the Biodiversity and Wildlife Fund, while additional fund was okayed for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Accessibility Project taking the loan amount from $300 million to $378 million.

The cabinet also approved enhancement of cost for Thandiani Road in Abbottabad and Mankial Road in Swat under the Kite project, besides the fixation of operational cost with Akhuwat for interest-free loan schemes in the province.

The cabinet approved the formation of a committee for drafting the KP Local Government Property Lease Rules, 2024.

It also approved the electronic land rights information Card-i-Jaidaad allowing revenue authorities to replace land measurements through feet and inches instead of the traditional karams.

The cabinet okayed the names of members for the constitution of the Conservation Heritage Board under KP Antiquities Act, 2016.

The Constitution Amendment Bill, 2024, moved by Mohammad Javed Khan and four other MNAs, was presented before the provincial cabinet, which regretted it.

The Law and Justice Division had forwarded the draft Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024, with a request tothe provincial government to furnish views on it.

It was meant to amend Article 140-A of the Constitution as well as including new Articles 140B, 140C and 140D regarding centralisation of the local government system.

The cabinet pointed out that the local government was a devolved provincial subject vested in the provinces and by virtue of Article 140-A of the Constitution read with Chapter-XIII of the Elections Act, 2017, each province including the federal capital had enacted their own LG Acts, which provided for the establishment of local government and the conduct of business by local governments according to the local needs.

The cabinet also approved the “installation and operation of Alaman Seyyam Sugar Mills Private Limited in Dera Ismail Khan and vowed to encourage such healthy competition among industrialists and investors,” according to the official statement.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2024