Lahore: Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued directives for the Punjab Government to establish an administrative secretariat for South Punjab by July 2019, a news source reported. He gave these instructions during his meeting with three empowered elected representatives hailing from South Punjab.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar briefed the prime minister on various aspects pertaining to the creation of the new province. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Finance Minister Makhdoom Jawan Bakht Hashim also attended the meeting.
The creation of a new province requires amending the constitution with a two-third majority in both the Parliament and the Punjab Assembly. And the government in its bid to satisfy the South Punjab populace is mulling setting up the advance administrative setup.
The participants suggested the prime minister to announce a special development package for the people of the impoverished area in order to bring it at par with North Punjab. The funds should be allocated 50% each from the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of Punjab and Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of the federal government.
The Executive Council on Creation of South Punjab has also sought recommendations to introduce an advance administrative setup in either Multan or Bahawalpur. The government plans to give the status of the metropolis to one of the two cities and the council has constituted six sub-committees to discuss various aspects in this regard
The political committee is headed by Council Chairman and former MNA Chaudhry Tahir Basheer Cheema and includes Food Minister Samiullah Chaudhry, Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Khan Mazari, former MNA Mian Ahsan Leghari, MPAs Syed Ali Abbas Shah, Sardar Sahabuddin Seehar and Sardar Javed Akhtar Khan, and MNA Amir Talal Gopang.
The administrative committee is headed by Food Minister Samiullah Chaudhry and comprises former civil servants Anwar A Khan and Javed Iqbal Awan, and MPA Shazada Ghazain Abbasi.
The finance and planning committee is headed by Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht and includes former civil servant Anwar A Khan and MPA Syed Ali Abbas Shah, whereas the research committee is headed by former MNA Dr Mina Ahsan Leghari and includes agriculturist Sardar Ali Raza Dareshak.
The social sector committee is headed by MPA Sardar Shahabuddin Seehar and comprises MNA Amir Talal Gopang, former civil servant Javed Iqbal Awan, and health, education and agriculture secretaries.
The legal committee is headed by agriculturist Sardar Ali Raza Dareshak, Dr Mina Leghari, MPA Syed Ali Abbas Shah, and secretaries of law and prosecution department.
