Punjab Chief Minister, Sardar Dost Muhammad Khan Khosa has said that Punjab government wants to develop consensus on financial matters between the centre and all the provinces for smooth handling of affairs in accordance with the needs of the provinces.
This was stated by him while talking to Punjab Minister for Finance Tanveer Ashraf Kaira, Senior Minister Sindh, Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq Minister for Industries and Investment NWFP Syed Ahmed Hasnain Shah and Finance Minister of Balochistan Mir Asim Kurd at Chief Minister's Secretariat, here on Wednesday.
Later, the Chief Minister hosted a luncheon in their honour, which was also attended by Senior Minister Punjab Raja Riaz Ahmed and the members of Punjab cabinet. Earlier, Punjab Minister for Finance Tanveer Ashraf Kaira, Senior Minister Sindh, Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, Minister for Industries and Investment NWFP Syed Ahmed Hasnain Shah and Finance Minister of Balochistan Mir Asim Kurd called on President Pakistan Muslim League-N Mian Shahbaz Sharif at his residence.
APP adds: All four provinces on Wednesday renewed their pledge to make utmost efforts to strengthen the Federation, and to sort out issues with the federal government in a congenial atmosphere.
This was decided at a meeting of provincial ministers dealing with finance in Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan here on the invitation of the Punjab government to share views on the next budget. Tanvir Ashraf Kaira represented Punjab, Mazhar ul Haq from Sindh, Ahmed Hussain Shah from NWFP and Asim Kurd from Balochistan.
"Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was symbol of unity and was killed to break the federation, but we are here to negate the designs of her killers and strengthen the federation as per vision of our assassinated leader. The chain of hands we have made here is reflecting our strong desire to make the federation stronger and stronger on all fronts including economic, social and political ones," Tanvir Kaira observed.
He said that the next budget of Punjab would be poor-friendly and it would encourage investments and boost agriculture and industrial sectors. He said that Punjab took the initiative of inviting other provinces to exchange views with others and share experiences to improve financial discipline and implementation of taxes in a better way.
He said that the provinces decided to support each other on releasing their outstanding dues against the federal government including royalty of NWFP against Wapda and pending amounts of Balochistan.
The meeting also decided to jointly take up the demands of the provinces with the federal government, like handling of provincial accounts by the provinces themselves, identification and implementation of development projects under Public Sector Development Programme by the provinces themselves and keeping the lapsed funds with the provinces, instead of returning them to the federal government, he added.
Sindh Finance Minister Mazhar ul Haq said that PPP being a federal party is working to strengthen the federation. Pakistan is more important than construction of Kala Bagh dam, he said, adding that coal resources at Thar should be used to generate power and improve economic conditions of the country instead of touching the controversial issues.
NWFP minister Ahmed Hussain Shah said that NWFP is facing wheat and flour shortage, and Punjab has assured of all-out cooperation in this regard. Balochistan finance minister Asim Kurd said that other provinces had assured cooperation with Balochistan to sort out problem of Rs 19 billion overdraft from State Bank of Pakistan with the federal government.