Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was not against the formation of new provinces but it would not support any party to “stage dramas” on the issue.
He demanded the formation of a commission on creation of new provinces. “A political party is staging dramas on provinces issue… the PML-N is not against creation of new provinces in the country but it is a sensitive matter which should be dealt carefully living in the constitutional ambit,” he said while talking to media outside the Parliament House. Without naming the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), he said the party which was demanding Saraiki and Hazara provinces in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa did not have a single seat in the provincial assemblies of both provinces. Nisar said the PML-N was not against Bahawalpur, Hazara or any other province but it was against the creation of provinces on linguistic basis.
“If provinces are created on basis of language, it will create unending unrest in the country… Punjab can afford provinces on lingual basis but other provinces could not bear the process,” he said. He demanded the formation of a high-level commission on creation of new provinces. “In all countries where new provinces were created, they were made by commissions … we will have to reach consensus on numerous issues like grounds of divisions, assets, liabilities, seats representation in senate etc,” he said, adding that the government through the slogan of new provinces was trying to divert people’s attention from the real issues. “As the rulers know they will be rejected by the masses in next elections for their bad governance and corruption, they are trying to win people’s support through this slogan,” he asserted.
PML-N not against formation of new provinces: Nisar
