Rana Sanaullah says new provinces debate should take place in Parliament

Adviser to Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Saturday said that debate on the creation of new provinces should take place in the Parliament rather than at economic forums or seminars.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, he said if people wanted new provinces, “no one could stop them”, adding that the matter would ultimately have to be dealt with through Parliament.

Responding to a question on new provinces, Sanaullah said the issue had not yet been raised in the cabinet or Parliament. He said discussions at forums and in speeches would not produce results and the matter should be debated in Parliament, where all political parties could present their positions.

“Only Parliament is such a forum where this debate is possible and debate by leaderships of all the provinces will yield better results,” he said, adding that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was consulting on its position regarding new provinces and would participate in the parliamentary debate. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would also discuss the matter, he added. Rana Sanaullah said the party would take into account the views of its workers at the district and union-council levels before announcing its policy.

He said the creation of new provinces was ultimately a matter for Parliament, adding that if the joint sitting of Parliament approved the proposal, a referendum would be held.

On the proposed long march by Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Rana Sanaullah said he had requested Jamaat-e-Islami leaders to postpone their march by one or two weeks. He said the PML-N also wanted a reduction in petroleum prices and hoped Jamaat-e-Islami would hold a peaceful protest. “The government is taking serious measures to bring down inflation,” he maintained.

However, he feared that “the other party’s” long march would not be peaceful.