FM Qureshi presents constitutional amendment bill for creating South Punjab

[313ghazi]

ISLAMABAD:
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday presented a constitutional amendment bill to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser with regards to creating South Punjab as the fifth province of Pakistan by splitting the pre-existing province into two.

FM Qureshi maintained that he had presented the bill on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s order and that the establishment of South Punjab as a province was part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s election manifesto.

At the request of Qureshi, the speaker decided to make the bill a part of the house’s agenda for Monday, March 28. “Today we have fulfilled another promise made to the people of South Punjab”, Qureshi said.
Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri was also present at the occasion.

Earlier this week, the incumbent government circulated a summary for the cabinet’s approval to amend the Constitution in order to split the Punjab province and create a fifth province of Pakistan amid serious political crisis and questions over its majority in the National Assembly.

The South Punjab province – proposed to comprise of three divisions – will have 56 seats of the National Assembly and the new provincial assembly will have 119 seats, according to the draft bill moved to create the fifth province of Pakistan.

The Ministry of Law and Justice on Thursday circulated the Constitution Amendment Bill 2022 for the approval of the federal cabinet for the creation of a separate new province comprising Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions called South Punjab, according to the cabinet’s summary.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has chosen to seek the cabinet’s nod through circulation instead of bringing the summary in the regular cabinet meeting for discussion and then approval.

NA to take up South Punjab province bill on Monday | The Express Tribune

FM Qureshi presents bill to NA speaker; Qaiser orders including it in agenda

tribune.com.pk

 

[El Sidd]

Government does not have the mandate to amend the constitution.

 

[Wood]

Is this some form of gerrymandering to create a province out of areas that have more PTI support?

 

[hyperman]

Karachi next?

 

[graphican]

Government does not have the mandate to amend the constitution.

I think they do. The same Government gave special status to Gilgit Baltistaan and merged Tribal Areas into KP. Besides splitting Punjab has been a mandate of several political parties in the past including PPP & PMLN. Its demand of people of the region and as PTI said, a part of their electoral manifesto. Do-ability or Mandate are not a question.

Moving forward, this announcement cuts PMLN's support in south Punjab completely. The announcement that PTI wants it paves the way for the next election where people would elect "Constitutional Assembly" that will also lead to changing Pakistan from Premiership to Presidential mode of governance. That will tick all the boxes for Pakistan.

 

[maverick1977]

I think they do. The same Government gave special status to Gilgit Baltistaan and merged Tribal Areas into KP. Besides splitting Punjab has been a mandate of several political parties in the past including PPP & PMLN. Its demand of people of the region and as PTI said, a part of their electoral manifesto. Do-ability or Mandate are not a question.

Moving forward, this announcement cuts PMLN's support in south Punjab completely. The announcement that PTI wants it paves the way for the next election where people would elect "Constitutional Assembly" that will also lead to changing Pakistan from Premiership to Presidential mode of governance. That will tick all the boxes for Pakistan.

it should be, makes administration easier.

 

[Asimzranger]

Imran khan just did this to opposition

 

[hyperman]

Presidential systems create dictators, too much power in the hands of one man, what they need is Party List Proportional representation, which will break up regionalism and entrenched political mafia.

 

[313ghazi]

Is this some form of gerrymandering to create a province out of areas that have more PTI support?

It's been a demand for a long time. PTI are happier to do it because they have support there, compared to PMLN who have traditionally relied on support from North and Central punjab more.

 

[jupiter2007]

Is this some form of gerrymandering to create a province out of areas that have more PTI support?

Split country into 33 administrative units for better management but they have to get rid of 18 amendment.

 

[Oruc]

I don't think Punjab assembly has passed any such motion with two third majority before which is a requirement for such division. A simple motion was passed i think but not with two third majority.

 

[RealNapster]

Is this some form of gerrymandering to create a province out of areas that have more PTI support?

You must be naive. Almost 20+ politicians joined PTI before 2018 election on the promise that PTI will create south Punjab province. They had no hope from PMLN so they bet on PTI. Now PTI is just fulfilling its promise. And if you have friends from South Punjab zones, try asking them about South Punjab. They are demanding separate province since decades now.

 

[Oruc]

Apart from it I think this issue requires handling with care. It should not be made a political point scoring game.

 

[fitpOsitive]

Karachi next?

InshaAllah

 

[El Sidd]

I think they do. The same Government gave special status to Gilgit Baltistaan and merged Tribal Areas into KP. Besides splitting Punjab has been a mandate of several political parties in the past including PPP & PMLN. Its demand of people of the region and as PTI said, a part of their electoral manifesto. Do-ability or Mandate are not a question.

Moving forward, this announcement cuts PMLN's support in south Punjab completely. The announcement that PTI wants it paves the way for the next election where people would elect "Constitutional Assembly" that will also lead to changing Pakistan from Premiership to Presidential mode of governance. That will tick all the boxes for Pakistan.

Its all in the name, FATA, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, it was always under federal governments jurisdiction and discretion to deal with it however they would find practical. Gilgit Baltistan also had similar constitutional discretion for the federal government.

This requires more than just the federal government and so does constitutional assembly general elections.

Brahmos fell on South Punjab, no one cared. Now they will all paint south Punjab as some systematically oppressed province all for the exploitation of cheap labor found in the region.