Creation of new provinces: government should take all stakeholders into confidence: PML-N

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday said that the government should take all stakeholders onboard before carving any new province. Talking to Business Recorder, PML-N spokesman Senator Mushahidullah Khan said that his party is not against creation of new provinces but government should take all the political both in and outside parliament into confidence before taking any decision.
About the newly formed commission by Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza to finalise modalities regarding Saraiki province on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari, he said that the party will give its final viewpoint after arrival of party chief Nawaz Sharif from abroad and this should not be taken as we are against creation of new provinces.
"We want new provinces as Nawaz Sharif has already shown his willingness to revive the previous status of Bhawalpur but this needs brainstorming by technocrats on expenditures and other management issues to satisfy all those vying for creation of a province", he maintained.
He said that PML-N was not a hurdle in forming of the commission but wants to introduce some condition necessary for new province otherwise the party is likely to opt out of the parliamentary panel, comprising senators and MNAs. The party had submitted a resolution in the lower house secretariat on May 3, he added, pertaining to formation of new provinces and is equally keen to form new province but it certainly needs enough brainstorming that how financial and infrastructure resources will be allocated to run another federating unit. Not satisfied with NA Speaker's commission, Khan said that it should have people from media, civil society including technocrats as just announcement of a new province is not enough but serious efforts are needed to materialise it.