LAHORE: There are plans afoot for an agreement to declare the province of Punjab and the State of California in the United States of America as ‘Sister States’ and a special letter in this regard has been sent to Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on behalf of the head of California Legislative Assembly, Chris R. Holden.
The letter has extended an invitation to Pervaiz Elahi to sign the document about the proposed agreement between Punjab and the State of California.
The chief minister chaired a high-level meeting to review matters relating to the proposed agreement that was also attended by former federal minister Moonis Elahi. Former federal secretary and Chairman of the Planning and Development (P&D) Board Salman Ghani apprised the meeting of the details of the proposed Sister State Relationship Agreement between Punjab and California.
The Punjab chief minister issued instructions for giving a final shape to the agreement. He said that the agreement would serve to enhance trade, and economic and business relations between the two regions and bilateral investment would increase as a result.
Under the agreement, he said, relations between the two regions in the sectors of education, health, information technology, environment and culture would be promoted. A special unit would be set up in the P&D Board that would give a final shape to the agreement and would also be responsible for its enforcement.
Pervaiz Elahi said that matters relating to the agreement to declare Punjab and California ‘Sister States’ would be finalised soon.
He pointed out that although a delegation from the Punjab government has been invited to visit California to participate in an agreement signing ceremony but “we would be pleased if the Californian delegation” would visit Lahore to finalise the agreement.
He said that the Legislative Assembly of California had already passed a resolution to declare Punjab and California ‘Sister States’. A copy of the letter received from the US has been sent to the Ambassador of America in Pakistan Donald Blome, the director of USAID Mission, and the officials concerned, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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