Amraiz Khan
Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar on Monday proposed reserved seats in the National and Provincial Assemblies for Overseas Pakistanis so that they can participate in the democratic process of the country.
“We will try to reach a consensus with the opposition parties on the issue of giving the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis”, Governor Ch Sarwar said while addressing a press conference along with SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Vice Chairman Overseas Commission Punjab Wasim Ramey and others at Governor’s House on Monday.
The governor said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to refuse US to use its airbase is in line with national aspirations. “The opposition should not politicize issues of national interest”, he stressed.
He said that Overseas Commission Punjab has resolved 10,000 complaints of overseas Pakistanis in two years, and recovered lands worth Rs25 million from land grabbers, and handed them over to overseas Pakistanis.
Ch Sarwar, in reply to a question, said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to not give any airbase to the United States is not due to any pressure from the opposition parties but only to safeguard the national interest.
“The 22o million Pakistanis stand with the decision of Prime Minister Imran Khan,” he declared and added as far as Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s statement is concerned, everyone knows that nobody can pressurise Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Ch Sarwar said that the government’s decision of giving the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis is a historic step and opposition parties should support this decision instead of obstructing it as overseas Pakistanis are playing an exemplary role in Pakistan’s economic development.
He said: “I suggest that there should be reserved seats for Overseas Pakistanis in the National and Provincial Assemblies so that they can participate in the country’s democratic process.”
The Punjab governor said that the scope of the Overseas Commission Punjab is now being extended to Tehsil level after districts so that the problems of Overseas Pakistanis can be solved in a prompt manner.
He further said that he also thank the incumbent and former Chief Justice of Lahore High Court who appointed special judges for cases of overseas Pakistanis due to which these cases are being settled within six months.
Talking on the occasion, Special Assistant to CM on Information, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, said that in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the steps taken by the Overseas Commission Punjab under the leadership of Governor Punjab and Chief Minister to resolve the problems of overseas Pakistanis are unprecedented.
The previous governments always ignored the problems of overseas Pakistanis and today all opposition parties including PML-N are opposing giving the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis, adding that we will not allow them to succeed and all rights of overseas Pakistanis will be safeguarded.
Muhammad Wasim Ramey, Vice Chairman, Overseas Commission Punjab also spoke on teh occasion.
