Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday said a committee has been set up to develop political consensus over the creation of a new province in south Punjab, Radio Pakistan reported.

Qureshi said the establishment of a separate province in south Punjab was part of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's manifesto and that the committee has been constituted as no single party was in a position to bring a constitutional amendment and pave way for the creation of a new province.

The foreign minister, while talking to media persons in Multan, said the committee will deliberate on the matter and come up with recommendations, which would then be put before the opposition parties.

Qureshi, on behalf of the PTI government, requested the opposition parties to rise above politics and take a decision based on objective reality and considering the needs of the people.

Replying to a question, Qureshi said that in the past All Parties Conference (APC) were convened over an agenda but the APC being proposed by the opposition parties this time does not have an agenda, which is beyond everyone’s comprehension.

Earlier on Friday, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had constituted a 12-member executive council for the creation of south Punjab province on Friday.

According to a letter issued on October 22, former MNA Chaudhry Tahir Bashir Cheema has been appointed as chairman of the council, while its members include Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Khan Mazari, Minister for Food Samiullah Chaudhry, MPAs Sahibzada Ghazain Abbasi, Syed Ali Abbas Shah, Sardar Shahabuddin Khan Seehar, Sardar Javed Akhtar Khan Lund and Nawabzada Mansoor Ahmed Khan, former MPA Mina Ehsan Leghari, agriculturalist Sardar Ali Raza Dareshak and three former civil bureaucrats.

According to the provincial government, the council will identify all possible issues pertaining to the creation of a separate province and engage all relevant departments to provide assistance where required, address all legislative matters concerning the creation of the province with the support of law and parliamentary affairs department, engage all relevant stakeholders to muster their support for the task, develop consensus, coordinate all matters with the federal committee on the creation of south Punjab province and any other ancillary matter related to the purpose.