Carve up plan: Panel agrees on ‘Bahawalpur South Punjab’ province
Parliamentary commission to present final report in National Assembly on Tuesday.
Parliamentary commission to present final report in National Assembly on Tuesday.
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE:
The parliamentary commission on new provinces evolved consensus on Saturday when it proposed “Bahawalpur South Punjab” as the name of the province to be carved out of Punjab.
The commission also approved its draft report, which is likely to be presented in the National Assembly on Tuesday. “We will have yet another meeting on Monday and the report will be submitted later,” Senator Farhatullah Babar, chairman of the commission, told The Express Tribune. “The nation will soon hear the good news,” he said.
The commission, when constituted, was given the task to carve out two new provinces in Punjab as per a resolution passed by the Punjab Assembly, which demanded the restoration of Bahawalpur’s status as a province and the creation of a new unit in southern Punjab. However, the commission has focused solely on one new unit.
Draft of report
According to the draft report of the commission, four different models have been proposed for the new province. The models tackle issues such as the distribution of economic, financial and administrative resources, demarcation [of boundaries], seat allocation in assemblies, and minority and constitutional amendments.
According to reports, the new province will have a share of 59 seats in the National Assembly while the provincial assembly will have 124 members. According to details, the commission has recom mended 47 general seats and 12 special seats for women and minorities. Similarly, out of the 124 seats in its provincial assembly, 101 seats have been allocated for general members and 23 special seats for women and minorities.
However, according to the draft, the election commission will have the final say on seat distribution.
The commission, which is due to conclude its meetings on Monday, will give the go-ahead to its preferred model before presenting it before the National Assembly speaker. The treasury bench will then introduce this bill in the National Assembly, after which it will be referred to the concerned standing committee for consideration.
A consensus has also evolved for Bahawalpur as the capital of the new province, whereas the provincial assembly will be situated in Multan.
PML-N strategy
According to a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member, the party has not yet formulated a strategy on the bill.
However, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan will point out lacunas in the proposed bill. According to sources, the party would raise objections against the commission’s proposals. The party will urge the commission to comply with the Punjab Assembly resolution of carving out two provinces instead one province, amongst other objections.
Meanwhile, PML-N leader Khwaja Asif told Express News that unless members of Punjab Assembly were involved in the decision or the matter is initiated from Punjab Assembly, any action in this regard by the centre is contrary to the Constitution.
“The Punjab Assembly has already passed a resolution on the Bahawalpur province. If the centre makes any attempt to create new administrative units from existing provinces, this is constitutionally incorrect.”
Asif also criticised the makeup of the parliamentary commission, arguing that the head of the commission, Farhatullah Babar, was from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and terming the entire activity a farce to secure more votes.
“We [PML-N] are in favour of creating new provinces along administrative lines. If they are created along ethnic lines, then this will harm the nation,” Asif said, adding that the issue would die down after elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2013.
The parliamentary commission on new provinces evolved consensus on Saturday when it proposed “Bahawalpur South Punjab” as the name of the province to be carved out of Punjab.
The commission also approved its draft report, which is likely to be presented in the National Assembly on Tuesday. “We will have yet another meeting on Monday and the report will be submitted later,” Senator Farhatullah Babar, chairman of the commission, told The Express Tribune. “The nation will soon hear the good news,” he said.
The commission, when constituted, was given the task to carve out two new provinces in Punjab as per a resolution passed by the Punjab Assembly, which demanded the restoration of Bahawalpur’s status as a province and the creation of a new unit in southern Punjab. However, the commission has focused solely on one new unit.
Draft of report
According to the draft report of the commission, four different models have been proposed for the new province. The models tackle issues such as the distribution of economic, financial and administrative resources, demarcation [of boundaries], seat allocation in assemblies, and minority and constitutional amendments.
According to reports, the new province will have a share of 59 seats in the National Assembly while the provincial assembly will have 124 members. According to details, the commission has recom mended 47 general seats and 12 special seats for women and minorities. Similarly, out of the 124 seats in its provincial assembly, 101 seats have been allocated for general members and 23 special seats for women and minorities.
However, according to the draft, the election commission will have the final say on seat distribution.
The commission, which is due to conclude its meetings on Monday, will give the go-ahead to its preferred model before presenting it before the National Assembly speaker. The treasury bench will then introduce this bill in the National Assembly, after which it will be referred to the concerned standing committee for consideration.
A consensus has also evolved for Bahawalpur as the capital of the new province, whereas the provincial assembly will be situated in Multan.
PML-N strategy
According to a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member, the party has not yet formulated a strategy on the bill.
However, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan will point out lacunas in the proposed bill. According to sources, the party would raise objections against the commission’s proposals. The party will urge the commission to comply with the Punjab Assembly resolution of carving out two provinces instead one province, amongst other objections.
Meanwhile, PML-N leader Khwaja Asif told Express News that unless members of Punjab Assembly were involved in the decision or the matter is initiated from Punjab Assembly, any action in this regard by the centre is contrary to the Constitution.
“The Punjab Assembly has already passed a resolution on the Bahawalpur province. If the centre makes any attempt to create new administrative units from existing provinces, this is constitutionally incorrect.”
Asif also criticised the makeup of the parliamentary commission, arguing that the head of the commission, Farhatullah Babar, was from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and terming the entire activity a farce to secure more votes.
“We [PML-N] are in favour of creating new provinces along administrative lines. If they are created along ethnic lines, then this will harm the nation,” Asif said, adding that the issue would die down after elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2013.