President makes a move for two new provinces in Punjab

In a major political move, President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday sent a reference to the National Assembly speaker calling for constitution of a commission comprising six senators, six members of the National Assembly and two members from the Punjab Provincial Assembly to look into the issues relating to the creation of two new provinces namely Multan and Bahawalpur and to initiate the process of amendments in the constitution for this purpose.
Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that the commission will submit its report within one month to be followed by the process of constitutional amendments for making the two new provinces.
He said that the reference draws attention of the speaker to the resolutions passed by the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly calling for the creation of the new provinces.
The National Assembly in its 41st session in its meeting held on May 3, 2012, had passed a resolution to the effect that in order to address the grievances and to secure the political, administrative and economic interests of the people of the southern region 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 Punjab Assembly has also passed a similar resolution demanding the parliament and federal government to create a new province of Janoobi Punjab and also to revive the earlier provincial status of Bahawalpur.
“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 the Senate to be nominated by the chairman, six members from the 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 reference said.
The commission will look into the issues relating to the fair distribution of economic and financial resources, demarcation, allocation/re-adjustment of seats in the National Assembly, Senate and the concerned Provincial Assembly and allocation of seats in the new province on the basis of population, including seats of minorities and women and other constitutional, legal and administrative matters.