New provinces’ commission: PPP nominates senators — none from South Punjab though

While PPP accommodated its major allies in commission, it ignored MQM which has raised its voice for South Punjab.

LAHORE:


The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has been at the forefront of support for a South Punjab province, but the party has failed to nominate a single senator from the region to the commission on new provinces.


The Senate secretariat on Wednesday nominated six senators to the commission for the formation of a South Punjab province and restoration of Bahawalpur province.

Except Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Rafique Rajwana, none of the senators nominated hail from South Punjab.

The commission includes PPP’s Sughra Imam and Farhatullah Babar, Awami National Party’s Haji Adeel, PML-Q’s Kamil Ali Agha, and JUI-F’s Abdul Ghafoor Haidri besides PML-N’s Rajwana.

Each party has nominated their own senators to the commission.


While PPP has accommodated its major allies in the commission, it has ignored the Muttahida Qaumi Movement which has raised its voice for South Punjab.

Strong voice ignored

Meanwhile, Independent Senator Mohsin Leghari, who won the Senate seat on a one-point agenda of raising his voice for the formation of a South Punjab province, has also been ignored in the commission.

Leghari submitted around 100 resolutions in the assembly secretariat for the formation of South Punjab and raised his voice for allocation of funds to and for jobs in the Punjab Public Service Commission for South Punjab. He had the support of around 40 MPAs from South Punjab in the Senate elections.

Leghari, talking to The Express Tribune, termed the nomination for commission an ‘eyewash.’

If the PPP and the PML-N were sincere about this issue, they should have nominated all members from South Punjab, he said.

PPP’s South Punjab office-bearer MPA Shaukat Basra said his party may include MNAs from South Punjab to the commission. Six members from National Assembly and two members from Punjab Assembly have yet to be nominated to the body.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2012.
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