ISLAMABAD - The Parliamentary Commission on new provinces is expeditiously completing its recommendations for creation of new province comprising southern Punjab districts and would likely table its report before the National Assembly on Monday.

Sources in the commission informed TheNation that instead of two the commission would be proposing only one province comprising Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan divisions while the demand of Punjab Assembly for restoration of Bahawalpur province and establishment of southern Punjab province was not entertained in the light of the suggestions and recommendations gathered by the commission from various stakeholders.
Sources in the commission informed that it was unanimous view of the members that the controversies associated with the issue should be set aside and only those issues would be taken up on which all the stakeholders are almost on same page.
It was in this backdrop that the some districts of Punjab like Mianwali and Sahiwal were not proposed in the new province just to avoid controversy as the residents of these areas did not want to become part of the proposed province.
Sources in the commission further said that to appease the people of Bahawalpur it was decided Bahawalpur would be taken as the name of proposed province while its capital would also be made in Bahawalpur instead of Multan.
The recommendations would be tabled before the National Assembly in form of bill and then after its approval the same would be sent to Punjab Assembly where under the constitution it would require passage with two-third majority. While the one-third members of the Punjab Assembly could veto the proposed creation of new province in Punjab and the whole exercise would become null and void there and then.
Meanwhile the main opposition party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) stayed away from whole exercise terming it unconstitutional and would most likely not support the recommendations or proposed amendment once it was tabled in the National Assembly.
Meanwhile the PML-N MPs from southern Punjab have decided to stay away from the meeting called by the Chairman of the Commission Senator Farhatullah Khan Babar to have their final input on certain issues pertaining to establishment of the capital of the proposed province and some other contentious matters.
Sources said that regarding the provision of resources to the proposed province it would get share from the existing share of Punjab in National Finance Commission Award while the matter of water distribution would also be settled on the basis of the agriculture areas in the province.
Sources in the commission further informed that the rest of technical issues would be taken up once the matter would clear all the constitutional hurdles from national and Punjab Assembly.
Talking to media persons after the meeting of the commission Senator Farhatullah Babar hoped that deliberations on new province would be over soon.
Senior MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar called upon political parties to set aside their differences and realize the sufferings of the people of southern Punjab.
The commission would meet again on Thursday.