NA witnesses heated debate on issue of new provinces

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly on Tuesday witnessed heated debate on resolutions moved by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for creation of new provinces in Hazara and South Punjab.

On a point of order MQM's Haidar Abbas Rizvi said his party had submitted resolutions for new provinces of Hazara and South Punjab and the business of the House should be suspended to discuss the resolutions.

Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said that his party was in favour of new provinces but proposed that it was a constitutional matter, hence before discussing it in the House, the government would like to take on board other allied parties.

Sheikh Aftab of PML-N suggested that before discussing the issue in the House, it should be taken up first at the Business Advisory Committee. "The matter is of great national importance and haste in discussing it at this time will serve no good."

PML-Q's Sheikh Waqas Akram supporting MQM's point of view said that creation of new provinces were necessary to address peoples' problems in a better way. "Formation of new provinces will help solve peoples grievances and governance issues."

Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, while opposing discussion in the National Assembly, said as the matter was related to provinces the concerned provincial assemblies should discuss it.

He said his party, ANP had never talked about the division of Sindh and Punjab so others should also avoid talking about division of his province.

"Let the provincial assemblies discuss about the formation of new provinces or otherwise."

But the MQM lawmakers kept on insisting that the issue should be discussed during Tuesday's sitting.

Nawab Yousuf Talpur, who was in the chair, suspended proceedings for 20 minutes due to uproar. However, it took 45 minutes to resume the proceedings.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said if the Parliament ensured rights to Pukhtoons and the people of Gilgit and Baltistan and FATA, "then how it is possible that it will not give us our identity."

"We have implemented all the resolutions regarding Balochistan province except the law and order situation which is a provincial subject," he added.

Gilani said a delegation from Hazara met him and discussed the issue of new province and I talked to ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and asked him how the issue could be resolved. In response, he (Asfandyar) said if the PPP has consensus on the issue then it could be discussed in the House.

The Prime Minister said then he referred the matter to PPP's Parliamentary Party and PPP fully advocated the federalism.

He dismissed the allegation that our party was weakening Pakistan, adding, Pakistan is guarded by the Constitution which was given to country by the PPP and provides a guarantee for security of Pakistan.

Regarding PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif's statement for setting up military courts in Karachi, the prime minister said how it was possible in a democratic set up and termed it a double standard of PML-N.

"In democracy, there is no room for such courts. Military should always be kept in the background," he said and added Rangers were deployed in Karachi on request of the provincial government to improve law and order.

The Prime Minister asked if such kind of courts are set up, then what will be the difference between democracy and dictatorship.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011