ISLAMABAD: Presidential spokesman and Senator Farhatullah Babar has been elected as new chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for the formation of new provinces in Punjab

The maiden meeting of the Parliamentary Commission set up by the Speaker National Assembly (NA) Dr Fehmida Mirza for the formation of new provinces in Punjab was held in Parliament House on Tuesday.

However, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had boycotted the moot,

Presidential spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar was appointed as chairman of the commission. His name was forwarded by Jamshed Dasti and Kamil Ali Agha.

Nine of the 12 members i.e. Jamshed Dasti, Kamil Ali Agha, Sughra Imam, Aziz Sheikh, Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi, Farooq Sattar, Hyder Abbas Rizvi, Musa Ali Gilani and Haji Adeel are attending the session.

According to sources, PML-N leader and Leader of the Opposition in the NA Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan forbade Tehmina Daultana, Saud Majeed and Senator Rafique Rajwana to attend the session of the commission formed by the NA Speaker Dr. Fahmida Mirza in the middle of this month.

It is pertinent to note here that acting Speaker National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi on August 16 constituted a 14-member Commission for the creation of new provinces in Punjab. As many as 12 members from the National Assembly and Senate were named for the commission, while two names were selected from Punjab Assembly.

Earlier on May 31, 2012, President Asif Ali Zardari sent a reference to NA Speaker following the passage of resolutions in the National Assembly and Punjab assembly for the creation of southern Punjab and Bahawalpur as provinces.

Talking to Private Channel, the PML-N’s Saud said his party discards the Parliamentary Commission. The N-League demands the eviction of irrelevant people from the commission and that the commission should not be kept limited to Punjab alone; instead, it should be tasked regarding other provinces as well.

The PML-N demands that the party and Punjab Assembly should be given appropriate representation in the commission.

Talking to media after the meeting, Farooq Sattar of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) said all issues will be amicably resolved in consultations with all the stakeholders, adding the southern Punjab should at the earliest be raised to the status of province.

Talking to Media, Farhatullah Babar said he will make all out effort to live up to the expectations of the nation, adding he will talk things over with the nominated members of the PML-N.

Terming today as an historic occasion in his life, Jamshed Dasti said the issue relating to the establishment of new provinces is of national importance.

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