Senate panel backs new provinces

ISLAMABAD:

Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice, on Tuesday observed that there were sufficient and important justifications for the creation of South Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Hazara region provinces.

The Senate panel met with Barrister Zafar in the chair to discuss the creation of the two provinces.

Chairman Zafar pointed out that there was poor governance and lack of economic development in the areas that were further from Lahore and Peshawar in Punjab and K-P, respectively.

He added that this distance was also creating daily communication problems for the residents of these two provinces.

“The creation of the provinces would also address the economic and political marginalisation of the poor minorities, who are living there,” he maintained.
“At the same time as the number of smaller provinces increases, the federation will become stronger,” he added.

Chairman Zafar, however, pointed out that while considering the creation of the new provinces, it must not be based on ethnic as well as linguistic grounds only but should be formed on administrative lines and population.

He continued that while considering all these issues, the committee must also keep in mind whether or not Pakistan was able to carve out new provinces with the current resources in the prevailing tough economic conditions.

Secondly, he questioned whether the provinces being proposed would be economically viable units.

Chairman Zafar also drew the attention of the participants of the meeting that after the creation of the new provinces, there would be a separate cabinet, governors, assemblies, high and district courts, as well as ministries and departments.

He said the quota of the new provinces in the federal service would have to be catered for.

The chairman continued that separate new provincial cadres would have to be created.

“This would also have an impact on the Senate because, for example, if Punjab is divided into two provinces, it would increase the province’s strength in the upper house of parliament and that might not be acceptable to other provinces,” he noted.

The chairman observed that the committee would also have to satisfy itself as to how the resources would be divided and how the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award would be reconsidered.

He also pointed out that matters relating to the distribution of canals would also arise.

The committee extensively debated on the matter and came to the conclusion that new provinces needed to be created in Pakistan – not just in Punjab and K-P but in other parts of the country as well.

However, all the questions raised by the chairman needed to be answered and all stakeholders, including the leadership of all political parties, must be heard to reach a consensus.

It was felt that with the Punjab and K-P assemblies having been dissolved, and the National Assembly’s tenure coming to an end in July-August this year, the time was inappropriate for bringing all stakeholders on board.

Nonetheless, it was felt that the Senate panel must begin its work on the matter by calling the party heads or representatives as well as other stakeholders for their opinion on the issue.

The senators were extremely unhappy with the law ministry for failing to provide the reports from the other ministries on the creation of new provinces.

The chairman directed the law ministry to file the reports within two weeks, failing which action might be taken against those responsible for the negligence.

The committee then took up the matter of the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project dispute. As the law ministry has not prepared its reply, it requested the committee that representatives from the attorney general for Pakistan’s Office might also be called for an in-camera briefing.

The panel agreed to give time to the law ministry, deciding that a separate session would be held for this purpose alone.

The committee summoned the assistant commissioner, public prosecutor and police department.

They were called to give an in-person briefing of the attack by lawyers on Pir Mahal, the assistant commissioner in Punjab.

The panel wanted to know what progress had been made in the case as well as whether the assistant commissioner was satisfied with the prosecution and investigation so far.

The committee also expressed its satisfaction over the prompt appointment of the members of the National Industrial Relations Commission.

However, the panel required the law ministry to submit a report on merit for the appointments whether due process in the recruitments was followed.