Draft package on provincial autonomy finalised
By Asim Hussain

ISLAMABAD—Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) Daniyal Aziz said on Monday that a draft constitutional package on provincial autonomy would be presented to concerned Constitutional Committee by December 31, which will consequently would be presented before the Parliament for approval.
Addressing a press conference here he said that NRB has prepared seven draft proposals on finance,legal,administrative and constitutional issues related to provincial autonomy.
Daniyal Aziz told the media that “ PML government was set to take a historic step for the settlement of provincial autonomy issue”. He lauded the role of PML President Ch Shujaat Hussain,PML Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed,Leader of the House in Senate Wasim Sajjad and Minister for Interprovincial Harmony Salim Saifullah Khan for preparation of draft proposals.
“We have prepared comparative statements of past constitutions,other countries constitutions and various political parties stance on this issue” , he added. To a question he said that NRB was playing the role of a think-tank and would present its draft proposals to the Parliamentary Committee which will take political decision for its implementation.
To another question he said that NRB doses not believe in window dressing and has prepared proposals which will settle the provincial autonomy issue once for all. To another query he said that all provinces are equal in the federation and no province has preference over the other.
It may be mentioned here that a delegation comprising of members of the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan including President, PML Ch. Shujaat Hussain, PML Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed and Leader of the House in the Senate Wasim Sajjad called on Daniyal Aziz who gave them a detailed briefing on the work done by the NRB relating to Federal to Provincial devolution. The chairman of the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB), Daniyal Aziz has assured of preparing a 7-point agenda package concerning Provincial autonomy, which would be ready by 31st December. While addressing a press conference at his office on Monday, he said that he has given a detailed briefing to PML (Q) chairman Chaudhry Shujaat about the salient features of the package.
He said that Provinces would be detailed about the recommendations about the issue and NRB and Inter-Provincial Ministry would coordinate with Provincial governments over the issue.
He assured that a proper direction has been earmarked and the issue would be solved smoothly and amicably. The proposed recommendations pertain to such administrative factors as environment, legal and administrative issues. He said that opinions and recommendations of various political parties are also being sought over the issue and a close comparative study of Indian and other countries modalities in this regard have been carried