Party also discussed NAB chief’s recently dispatched letter to the president. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party has decided to cajole coalition partners to muster support for introducing a constitutional amendment for the bifurcation of Punjab and to forge a consensus on interim governments that are to be installed before the general elections.
According to sources, the decision was made during a meeting held at the Presidency late Monday night, where key leaders of the PPP also discussed high-profile cases in the superior courts and the NAB chief’s recently dispatched letter to the president.
“It (passing a constitutional amendment) will not be an easy task. But we are committed to our stance on South Punjab province” a top PPP leader said.
Sources said Senator Farhatullah Babar briefed the participants of the meeting about the report of a parliamentary committee on new provinces, headed by him.
The parliamentary commission finalised on Monday its report on a new province with a proposed name – the Bahawalpur Junubi Punjab – and is likely to table it before Parliament during the ongoing session.
The PML-N had already boycotted the proceedings of the commission, while the JUI-F and government allies PML-Q and ANP have filed dissenting notes with the final report.
Under the proposed plan, a PPP leader said, the government will move the bill in Parliament, which will then be sent to the concerned standing committee for further deliberations.
On the other hand, Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar denied that the core committee met on Monday night, terming the reports as incorrect. Babar insisted that the prime minister and some federal ministers routinely meet the president, which, he said, is what happened Monday night.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2013.
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Shame on PPP new provinces are only election stunts .