Pakistan: Senate passes constitutional amendment bill to create new province

Radio Pakistan

The Senate has passed 24th Constitution with some amendments to create new province of Bahawalpur South Punjab. The bill was moved by Law Minister Farooq H. Naek and the opposition parties opposed it and later on walked out of the House. The Law Minister congratulating the members on passage of the bill and hoped it will go a long way in the removing grievances of the people of South Punjab. The Bill will now go to the National Assembly for consideration. Earlier‚ Senator Farhatullah Babar said PPP government after the 2008 elections decided to appoint a Prime Minister from South Punjab in order to give representation to South Punjab. He said any issues arising after the creation of new province could be taken to Council of Common Interests. Leader of the opposition Ishaq Dar said the Punjab Assembly in its resolution last year had expressed no confidence on the parliamentary commission for creation of new provinces. He said if we have to make new provinces‚ we should do it with proper mechanism and due process. Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo said no one is serious in creating the new provinces. He said representation and constitutional make up of the Senate will also suffer with the creation of a new province. Muzaffar Hussain Shah said the proposed bill alter the structure of the constitution. Mushahid Hussain Syed said we should take this step with utmost caution. The Senate was informed today that a proposal is under consideration to sign an agreement with Yemen for exchange of prisoners. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nawabzada Malik Ammad Khan told the House that a two-member Yemeni delegation visited Pakistan this year and held discussions with their counterparts in Ministry of Interior on the draft text of bilateral agreement. To a question Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abbas Khan Afridi said there are no proposals in Strategic Trade Policy Framework 2012-15 to enhance supply of energy‚ electricity and gas to industrial sector. To another question‚ Minister of State Abbas Afridi said the Cabinet in its meeting on 29th February last year accorded approval to a Negative List of 1209 items for imports from India. He said Ministry of Commerce is consulting other ministries and stakeholders to assess and evaluate level playing field enjoyed by Pakistani exports to India. It is also consulting on non-tariff barriers being faced by Pakistani exporters and issues of market access of Pakistani products to India. The House unanimously passed two bills which provides establishment of Global Change Impact Studies Centre and "The Defense Housing Authority in Islamabad. Members belonging to MQM held a token walk out from the House in protest against non-availability of medical facilities to Abbas Town tragedy victims in government hospitals in Karachi. The house will now meet at 4.30 pm on Thursday