MPAs criticise luxuries for bureaucrats.

PESHAWAR -- The alleged ballottement of multiple government-owned houses and provision of brand new, luxury vehicles to civil servants in the province echoed in the provincial assembly on Friday.

The familiar issues of the absence of provincial ministers and lack of quorum cropping up again.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly resumed on Friday morning with Speaker Mushtaq Ghani in the chair.

During the question and hour session, the additional secretary to the speaker told the house that he has been allotted a house in the provincial capital but he has yet to take possession of it.

The opposition and treasury benches collectively raised the issue of bureaucrats occupying multiple government-owned houses, including in the areas where they are deployed along with a government-owned house in the provincial capital. Moreover, they also use precious vehicles.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPPP) lawmaker Nighat Orakzai told the house that the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Mohammad Azam Khan enjoyed a government-owned house in Peshawar and another one in Islamabad.

MPAs from across the aisle demanded that civil servants should be allocated perks and privileges as per their employment grade and only in the city where they work.

Senior Minister Atif Khan explained that government officers are entitled to government-provided residence in the area where they are deployed but that government officers cannot hold two government-owned houses within the country at the same time.

He demanded an inquiry into the matter by the relevant committee.

Awami National Party (ANP) MPA Shagufta Malik claimed that new vehicles have been procured for six secretaries and five commissioners of the province.

'Under what criteria SUVs have been purchased for these officers,' she asked, adding that the assembly has been misled through the provision of incorrect answers.

Orakzai contended that as lawmakers, they were equivalent to or higher than basic pay scale (BPS) grade 22 civil servants but had shabby cars while the bureaucracy was enjoying the privileges of viceroys.

K-P Law Minister Sultan Mohammad Khan, though, termed it a debatable issue. He contended that government officers need to perform their duties. And while members of the assembly have fewer facilities available, forcing them to use their own resources, they had been elected by the people to serve them.

The law minister proposed referring the issue...