PML-N revives move for Punjab’s division into three provinces

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Tuesday revived a move for division of Punjab into three provinces by introducing a private member bill seeking amendment to the Constitution.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which seeks restoration of provincial status of Bahawalpur and creation of Janubi Punjab as new province was introduced in the National Assembly by Rana Sanaullah, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanveer Hussain and other PML-N members.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) member Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali introduced the Elimination of Riba Bill, 2019 on behalf of Aliya Kamran, Shahida Akhtar Ali, Maulvi Asmatullah and other JUI-F parliamentarians.

Naveed Aaamir Jeeva, the minority member, introduced the Prohibition of Forced Religious Conversion bill, 2019. Five other private member bills including Constitution (Amendment) bill, 2019 regarding representation of Fata in National Assembly and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly, Family Courts (Amendment) bill, Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) bill, Chamber of Agriculture bill and Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Bill, 2019 were also introduced.

Law Minister Farogh Nasim did not oppose introduction of the bill for creation of two more provinces in Punjab, saying the same should be referred to the standing committee concerned for further discussion.

Parliamentarians from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI),however, said they were in favour of division of Punjab in two provinces. According to the proposed Constitutional (Amendment) bill, the province of Bahawalpur shall comprise the existing administrative division of Bahawalpur, while province of Janubi Punjab shall include the existing administrative divisions of Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan.

The proposed bill seeks amendment to Articles 1, 51, 59, 106, 154, 175A, 198 and 218 of the Constitution. It also provides for re-allocation of provincial assemblies seats for Punjab, Bahawalpur and Janubi Punjab.

Rana Sanaullah who introduced the bill on behalf of his party colleagues said the provincial assembly of Punjab had passed two separate resolutions on May 9, 2012 for restoration of Bahawalpur and creation new Janubi Punjab province.

Malik Amer Dogar of PTI did not want to create new provinces rather there was conspiracy behind the move saying that a provincial secretariat was being established in South Punjab in the first week of July. The PTI member suggested that the bill should be referred to the standing committee concerned of the House.

Federal Minister Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema, who belongs to PML-Q, however, supported the bill but said they would not like to become slaves of Takhat-e-Multan. “We are also bringing a legislation in the Punjab Assembly for creation of two more provinces in Punjab,” he said.

Meantime, Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan of MQM demanded division of Sindh province on administrative basis inviting a strong protest from the PPP parliamentarians. Former prime minister and PPPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said it was his party which took practical steps for the Janubi Punjab province.

He advised the MQM parliamentarians to first get a resolution passed by the Sindh Assembly for division of Sindh province. Rana Sanaullah said those pointing a finger at Lahore from South Punjab had been enjoying the offices of prime minister and chief minister. “Ask them as to what they did for development and prosperity of South Punjab,” he said.