Parliament to decide on the creation of new provinces: Rana
LAHORE: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Saturday that it was the parliament which had to take decision about new provinces in the country.
Talking to media here today after the PML-N meeting, Rana said that the discussion on the creation of new provinces would be held in the parliament. “It will be at the joint session of the parliament that the decision to hold a referendum on the issue will be taken,” he added.
To a query, Rana said that the issue of new federating units had not been taken up by the federal cabinet as yet.
To another query, he said that bitterness in relations between the PML-N and the PPP had reduced.
He stated that a referendum on the creation of new provinces will be held if approved by a joint session of parliament. He added that parliament was the best forum for discussing the creation of new provinces. He said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was still consulting on its position over the matter.
“The PML-N would issue its policy statement when the issue was brought before the parliament and the matter of whether provinces should be created or not has to be decided by parliament,” Sanaullah added.
He said the PML-N would also consider the views of its district and union council workers while finalising its position in this connection.
The PML-N leader said that the issue (new provinces) would move in appropriate direction once it came before parliament, where all political parties would present their positions. Parliamentary decisions will be accepted by all parties, he added.
Rana Sanaullah also claimed that tensions between the PML-N and PPP had eased considerably following differences that emerged during the recent Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections. “Things between the PPP and PML-N will be resolved in a better manner,” he hoped.
Responding to a question, Rana said the PML-N wanted petroleum product prices to come down. He urged Jamaat-e-Islami to postpone its proposed long march by one or two weeks. He hoped that the JI’s long march would be peaceful. He added that rising prices were linked to the ongoing war between the United States and Iran, adding that Pakistan was not responsible for the increase in prices.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026