Federal govt announces to present a bill in NA for declaring South Punjab a province

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The federal government has announced to present a bill in the National Assembly for declaring South Punjab a province. Talking to the media with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan after a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that it will take some time to make a complete secretariat of South Punjab. He said that 33 percent funds would be allocated for South Punjab from the budget of the province. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M46QPptCQ8U&feature=emb_title Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the plan for the establishment of South Punjab Secretariat was finalized during the meeting. “Political parties will be consulted over the matter. The assembly will decide the capital of the South Punjab province,” he said. He said that the additional chief secretary and additional IGP will be appointed for South Punjab. “One each officer will sit in Multan and Bahawalpur,” he said, adding that South Punjab province will be given a due share in the Senate and Federation. The minister said that it will take some time to evolve a consensus over the matter. “An amount of Rs3 billion will be needed for the new province, which will create 13,500 posts as well,” he added. Sources said that the lawmakers belonging to South Punjab were divided over the establishment of the South Punjab Secretariat. “The lawmakers belonging to Multan and DG Khan are against the establishment of provincial capital in Bahawalpur. However, Bahawalpur-based lawmaker Samiul Hassan Gillani has proposed to hold consultations over the matter,” he said.