News
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Provinces to get assets of tourism ministry soon* Senate body head urges meeting’s participants to focus on complete transfer of assets to provinces
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s Standing Committee on Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) on Tuesday was informed that all provincial ministers for tourism would get assets and property of former federal tourism ministry.
Federal IPC Minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani assured the committee that the matter would be expedited and provinces would get their property and facilities as soon as possible.
The committee’s meeting was held under Senator Farah Aqil. The meeting focused on smooth transfer of devolved ministry to all provinces and to address graveness of all provincial ministers of tourism and compile a comprehensive report in reflection to the Provincial Ministers questions.
The minister, Senator Mukhtiar Ahmed Dhamrah and Haji Ghulam Ali attended the meeting along with provincial ministers from all provinces and IPC additional secretary.
The chairwoman said that the participants of the meeting should focus on complete transfer of assets/properties/facilities to the provinces instead of exchanging bitter words. Bijarani asked the KP Tourism Minister Syed Aqil Shah to withdraw the deadline of one month given by him the other day.
Shah while pleading the case of all provincial sports’ ministers had said that the provincial ministers would forcibly occupy their properties and facilities if they would not be transferred to the provinces in one month. Shah had also said he was speaking on behalf of all provincial ministers and only wanted a positive assurance from the IPC minister regarding transfer of assets and properties to the provinces.
On the request of Bijarani, Shah withdrew his statement and requested to expunge it from the record.
The committee chairwoman expressed her concern regarding danger of militancy in Swat and Malam Jabba again. Shah assured the committee that the provinces were fully equipped and ready to handle their responsibilities and already the provinces were promoting tourism and sports activities. He said that not only Malam Jabba resort would be revived by the KP but terrorism would also end soon in the country as almost 80 percent of terrorism has been finished from the country and Swat is not only safe now but it is also smiling.
The chairwoman directed all provinces to send their demands as per the sprit of 18th Amendment to the federal IPC minister and also provide a copy of their correspondence in this regard to the committee.
At the assurance of Bijarani regarding speedy transfer of properties to the provinces, all provincial ministers expressed their satisfaction and thanked Bijarani for his support to the provinces and hoped that this critical and burning issue of the provinces will be resolved at the earliest. The meeting ended on a happy note as both senators, Mukhtiar Ahmed and Haji Ghulam Ali raised their voice in favour of the demands made by all provincial ministers.
The committee unanimously recommended that the IPC Ministry should expedite and ensure the process of complete transfer of all assets and properties to the provinces as per 18th Amendment.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk