ISLAMABAD — President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday agreed to “strictly adhere to constitutional provisions” governing the creation of new provinces or administrative units, with any proposed referendum on the contentious issue also requiring parliamentary approval. Official sources privy to the development that the understanding was reached during a meeting between the two leaders at the prime minister’s Model Town residence, amid a fresh debate over the creation of additional provinces and a proposal by the interior minister to seek public opinion through a referendum.
President Zardari, who was accompanied by former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, made it clear that the PPP’s position remained aligned with the Sindh Assembly’s resolution opposing the creation of new provinces. He stressed that any move in this direction must strictly follow the procedure prescribed by the Constitution, a position endorsed by PM Shehbaz, the sources said. PM’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and the prime minister’s sons Hamza and Suleman were also present at the meeting.
The two leaders also agreed that parliament could not be bypassed in deciding whether a referendum should be held and what questions should be put to the public, according to the sources. “The majority in parliament will decide whether a referendum is to be held and what its question(s) should be. Without consensus, the matter cannot move an inch.
Parliament cannot be bypassed,” an official source quoted the meeting as agreeing. The discussion came two days after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi floated the idea of holding a referendum to gauge public opinion on the creation of new provinces or administrative units, arguing that the exercise could settle the debate once and for all. He had also assured political parties that they would be taken on board before any decision was finalised.