ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: The Inter-provincial Coordination Committee (IPCC) which held its first meeting here on Monday unanimously decided that jobs quota in the federal government would be fixed on the basis of 1998 census.

This was announced by the Minister of Inter-provincial Coordination Salim Saifullah Khan at a press conference after the meeting.

So far the job quota, he said, used to be determined on the basis of the census carried out in 1972.

Mr Saifullah that the federal government was committed to the principle of provincial autonomy as envisaged in the Constitution.

The meeting was informed that a bill on provincial autonomy moved by opposition legislator Mujib-ur-Rahman Pirzada in the National Assembly would be fully supported.

The committee decided that the federal government would pick up half of the subsidy being paid by the provincial government on 1,150 tubewells which were being operated in Balochistan for providing drinking water.

The IPCC meeting which lasted well over two hours was attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and provincial ministers Zaheeruddin of Punjab, Maulana Fazal Ali Haqani of the NWFP, Dr Sohrab Sarki of Sindh and Sher Jan Baloch of Balochistan.

Mr Aziz said at the meeting that the IPCC had been revived to promote harmony and understanding among the provinces and between the federation and the provinces on important national issues. He called upon the IPCC to focus on important national issues, work to remove any misunderstanding among the federating units and become a truly and action-oriented institution.

He emphasised the need to inculcate positive attitude and forge unity on national matters. The country had come a long way from the days of virtual economic bankruptcy seven years ago, he said.

He asked the provincial governments to ensure that prices of essential items remained stable during Ramzan.

Mr Salim Saifullah said the meeting had decided that in future IPCC meetings would be held in provincial headquarters and the next meeting would be held in Lahore.

All the provinces agreed on setting up a centralised database for vehicle registration with the support of Nadra and the CBR, extend provincial jurisdiction on fishing area to 20 nautical miles from 10, give all future contracts of tuna fishing to local companies as against the present practice of awarding such contracts to foreign companies.

It was also decided that the dispute between governments of Balochistan and Sindh over the fishing jurisdiction would be settled by the ministers for food and agriculture of the two provinces.

To check overloading by heavy vehicles the provinces will enact uniform laws, with Punjab already moving necessary legislation in this regard.

The provinces agreed to abide by the conditions of awarding contracts on the pattern followed by the central government. They agreed to charge cellular companies not more than Rs30,000 per tower per annum.

The IPCC also decided that the provinces would enforce a fresh legislation to enhance the punishment of misuse of loudspeakers from one month to three months.

It was also decided that the fishing rights on the Chashma barrage would be returned to Punjab from Wapda and on the Tarbela dam to the NWFP.