KARACHI, June 29: The federal minister for inter-provincial coordination, Salim Saifullah Khan, said that coordination and harmony among the provinces of Pakistan was a pre-requisite for the progress of the country.
He was speaking as chief guest at a seminar on 'Promoting Inter-Provincial Harmony' organised by the Sindh Inter-Provincial Coordination Department (SIPCD) here at a local hotel on Thursday. The purpose of the seminar was to foster and flourish inter-provincial harmony, integrity and solidarity among the different provinces of the country.
Speaking on the occasion, the federal minister said that the country was broken into two parts due to the lack of inter-provincial coordination, integrity and harmony. He said that there was a desperate need for the promotion of harmony among the provinces on different issues.
Mr Khan said that issues like drug and human trafficking, fleeing of offenders from one province to the other and water distribution could be resolved if consolidated and sustained efforts were taken for the promotion of inter-provincial harmony.
He said that most of the problems could be solved at the provincial level without moving to the federal government, if provincial coordination departments of the provinces were given due importance.
The minister said that being a political worker he believed in solving all the existing problems through dialogue, negotiation and table talk, adding that the government was doing its best for holding talks to resolve the Balochistan issue.
He said that Balochistan was not being neglected by the present government and further informed that 34 per cent of the fund of National Highways Authority was being spent on Balochistan.
Mr Khan said that completion of Gwadar Deep Sea Port would open the doors of progress for the province, adding that maximum jobs at the port would be given to the locals. He said that the federal government would provide all out assistance for developing the Balochistan coastline.
He announced that inter-provincial parliamentarian conference would be held in August 2006 in Islamabad and applauded the efforts of the SIPCD for conducting a seminar on such a vital national issue.
Sindh Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Sohrab Khan Sarki said that exchange of delegations of sportsmen, students, lawyers, journalists and people belonging to other walks of life among the different provinces could also foster harmony.
Punjab Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Syed Sher Jan Baloch, Sindh Minister Dr Saeeda Malik, Chaudhry Zahirudddin, Punjab Minister for Works and Development, and Mir Manzoor Khan Panhwar, Sindh Minister for Zakat and Ushr also spoke.--PPI
