New province: Attorney general, advocate general summoned

Political parties represented in the assemblies had no mandate to create new provinces: Counsel

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court has summoned the attorney general of Pakistan and the advocate general of Punjab for assistance on a petition against the inclusion of Mianwali district in the proposed Bahawalpur Janoobi Punjab province and adjourned till February 1.

In his arguments on Thursday, Advocate Azhar Siddique, representing the petitioner, said that the court should set aside the decisions taken by a parliamentary commission on the establishment of a new province in southern Punjab.

The counsel argued that the political parties represented in the assemblies had no mandate to create new provinces. He said neither the president, nor the prime minister, nor the National Assembly speaker had the power to form a parliamentary commission to carve our new provinces.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2013.