LAHORE – Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday submitted a constitutional amendment bill in the National Assembly for the creation of Bahawalpur and South Punjab provinces, the move put the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in trouble on provinces issue.
Former minister Ahsan Iqbal along with Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Marriyam Aurangzeb said the PML-N had achieved another milestone by submitting a constitutional amendment bill in the National Assembly to create two new provinces of South Punjab and Bahawalpur provinces.
“If PTI is serious on the matter of creating new provinces, then the opposition will unconditionally support to the govt,” he added.
The former interior minister said he was fearful that the Pakistan Tekreen-e-Insaf (PTI) government would take a U-turn on the formation of new provinces.
According to the bill, the province of Bahawalpur will comprise the existing administrative division of Bahawalpur. The South Punjab province will comprise Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan. After the formation of the new provinces, these divisions would be excluded from Punjab, reports Geo TV.
Total National Assembly seats for Bahawalpur province would be 18 (15 general and 3 women), while South Punjab would have 38 (31 general and 7 women) seats. Further, if the bill is passed Bahawalpur province will have 39 provincial assembly seats and South Punjab 80.
National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser had said steps were being taken to implement the plan to give South Punjab the status of the province. “The people of South Punjab would be soon given good tidings.”
He had expressed these views while talking to members of the National Assembly belonging to Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions who met him in Islamabad last week.
