Lahore: The Executive Council on Creation of South Punjab has sought recommendations to introduce an advance administrative set up in either Multan or Bahawalpur, a news source reported. 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 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 set up.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has already ordered the Punjab government to initiate the set up under an additional chief secretary by July next year. A decision regarding the host city would be taken after a meeting with the council.
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 Lund 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, 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, MPA Syed Ali Abbas Shah, whereas the research committee is headed by former MNA Dr Mina Ahsan Leghari and comprises 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.
