ISLAMABAD: The Speaker of the National Assembly will constitute a 14-member Commission for the creation of two new provinces in Punjab. The commission will be required to look into issues relating to fair distribution of economic and financial resources, demarcation, allocation/readjustment of seats in the National Assembly, Senate and the concerned provincial assembly and allocation of seats in the new province on basis of population, including seats of minorities and women and other constitutional, legal and administrative matters.
Deputy Speaker National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi read out a message received from the President of Pakistan under clause (2) of Article 56 of the Constitution in the Lower House of the Parliament. The House gave powers to the Speaker to constitute a Commission to look into matters for creation of new provinces in Punjab Province.
The Commission would comprise 14-member, six from each National Assembly and Senate to be nominated along with two members from the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, who will also be nominated.
According to the message of the President, the National Assembly during its 41st Session in a meeting held on May 3, 2012 passed a resolution to the effect that in order to address the grievances and to secure the political, administrative and economic interest of the people of the southern region of the province of Punjab and to empower them in this regard, a new province to be known as province of "Janoobi Punjab" be created from the present province of the Punjab. The provincial assembly of Punjab has also passed a similar resolution demanding of the parliament and the federal government to create a new province of Janoobi Punjab and also to revive the earlier status of Bahawalpur as a province.
In order to implement the aforesaid resolutions and before a process is initiated to amend the constitution in terms of Article 239 thereof it is expedient that a commission may be constituted comprising of six members from Senate to be nominated by the Chairman, six members from National Assembly to be nominated by the Speaker and two members from the provincial assembly of Punjab to be nominated by the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab. The Commission shall look into the issues relating to the fair distribution of economic and financial resources, demarcation, allocation/readjustment of seats in the National Assembly, Senate and the concerned provincial assembly and allocation of seats in the new province on basis of population, including seats of minorities and women and other constitutional, legal and administrative matters. The provision of the constitution which would require amendment inter alia includes Articles 1(2), 51, 59 and 106 of the Constitution.
The commission shall submit its report to the Speaker as well as to the Prime Minster within thirty days of its notification in the official gazette, which will be followed by initiation of the process of amendment to the constitution.
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Khurshid Ahmed Shah said that the House wanted to give powers to the Speaker to constitute a Commission and to write the Chairman of the Senate in this regard.
However, a resolution would be passed in the Lower House of the Parliament to give power to the Speaker to constitute a Commission. The National Assembly Secretariat sources told Business Recorder that the resolution would be passed on Thursday for this purpose.
Jamshed Dasti of PPP demanded that Dera Ismail Khan and Tank district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa should be included in the proposed province of Janoobi Punjab.