LAHORE: The Executive Council on Creation of South Punjab has resolved that it will meet its commitment of setting up a separate civil secretariat in south Punjab before July 1.

Sources say the chief secretary office has completed its spadework and needed a formal announcement by the political government to launch a separate civil secretariat.

The executive council chaired by Tahir Bashir Cheema had met at chief minister’s secretariat on Friday and deliberated upon the recommendations of five sub-committees working on creation of south Punjab province and a civil secretariat. The sub-committees’ chairmen briefed the executive council chairman about the working of the committees.

Speaking to the council members, Mr Cheema said the people living in southern Punjab had been vying for the creation of a separate province for quite a long time. Asserting that there is no other option except creating a separate south Punjab province, Mr Cheema said the council would come up to the expectations of the public and ensure setting up of a separate civil secretariat in south Punjab before July 1 – a deadline already set.

Stating that all stakeholders had been taken on board, Mr Cheema said Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to bring about prosperity in the region by establishing a separate south Punjab province.

The executive council meeting was attended by Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Khan Mazari, MNA from Muzaffargarh Amir Talal Gopang, Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht, Food Minister Samiullah Chaudhry, MPA from Bahawalpur Sahibzada Muhammad Ghzain Abbasi, MPA from Layyah Sardar ShahabudDin Khan Seehar, MPA DG Khan Sardar Javed Akhtar Khan Lund, former MNA from DG Khan Dr Mina Ehsan Leghari, agriculturist Sardar Ali Raza Dreshak, civil servants Anwar A. Khan, Javed Iqbal Awan and Athar Husain Khan.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2019