DHADIYAL
ONLINE
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will perform the ground breaking ceremony of Mandra-Chakwal road on Wednesday (today).
The premier is likely to announce restart of the abandoned Chakwal-Sohawa Road. He will reach the venue by a helicopter on Wednesday and will address a public meeting on the premises of OGDC.
All arrangements including foolproof security have been completed in this regard.
Meanwhile, the district administration and the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) have made elaborate arrangements to accord grand welcome to PM Nawaz at Dhudial, 20 kilometres away from Chakwal.
with� iw�~ �q ving the human rights situation in the area. Babar also warned the Islamabad-based GB Council of any misadventure in encroaching upon the exclusive domain of the GB administration and its legislative assembly.
According to media reports, the council will meet next week to formally adopt the new mining licensing policy.
The senator said that the GB chief secretary has been the appellate forum in mining concession matters which powers were now sought to be shifted to the bureaucracy in Islamabad.
“The wily scheme to usurp powers of the GB administration and assembly in giving mining concessions also raises serious questions about the motive behind it as awarding mineral concessions to bidders is a lucrative business,” he said.
It passes comprehension that while the GB Empowerment Order 2009 gives the powers to regulate labour and safety in mines to the local assembly, the powers to grant mining concessions is taken over by the bureaucracy in Islamabad, he said adding, “It must not be allowed; it will not be”.
“The GB council is headed by the prime minister of Pakistan and packed with his handpicked nominees who outnumber the elected members of the GB legislative assembly in it.”
“The GB council is a high sounding front for bureaucracy in Islamabad. Most of its members have not even visited the area let alone have any understanding of the aspirations and needs of its people. It has no business to usurp the powers that legitimately belong to the local government and their elected assembly,” he said.
“Besides the prime minister and GB governor, who is also a nominee of the PM, there are six more members nominated by him from amongst members of parliament. Together with the federal minister for Kashmir Affairs as ex-officio member the nine nominated members of the Islamabad-based Council over rule the minority six members elected to it by the GB Assembly,” he said.