Sherpao Ruled out any Increase in the Northern Areas
Legislative Council
seats;
GILGIT, April 25th 2004:
The Chief Executive of Northern Areas,
Aftab Ahmed Khan
Sherpao on Sunday ruled out any increase in the Northern
Areas Legislative
Council seats and decrease in age limit for the NALC
elections scheduled to
be held on Oct 12-13.2004
He was presiding over meetings of Northern Areas cabinet
and local
administration here to review the law and order situation
and the ongoing
development projects in Northern Areas, sources told Dawn.
Mr Sherpao directed the advisers to monitor progress on
projects and asked
them to focus on proper, efficient utilization of
developmental funds. The
minister attending the meeting on law and order said the
issue should be
given top priority.
He also said the code of conduct had been signed by the
representatives of
all sects and it should be followed in its true spirit. The
politicians
being the representatives of the people should play a
positive role in
promoting sectarian harmony and cohesion among the people
of the area.
Regarding the issue of Chilmisdas area, the minister said
that the court had
given its decision on the case and it should be followed in
its letter and
spirit. He asked the Food and Agriculture Adviser, Sheikh
Ghulam Haider to
help implement the court's decision.
The meetings were also attended by the Northern Areas
Legislative Council,
Speaker Haji Sahib Khan, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Chief
Executive of Northern
Areas Fida Mohammad Nashad, members of NA Cabinet and
Advisers, Chief
Secretary Farid Khan, Inspector General Police Maj-Gen (R)
Sakhiullah Tareen
and other high ranking officials, the sources said.
Meanwhile in another development the Northern Areas
Legislative Council has
submitted its recommendations to the federal government
regarding increase
in general seats of the Council for approval, official
sources told Dawn.
The source said that the report of NALC standing committee
regarding the
proposals for enhancement of the NALC general seats,
increase in women seats
and enforcement of the newly-introduced local government
system in Northern
Areas was debated by the NALC recently.
The legislators after taking a exhaustive debate on the
issue finally passed
the proposals for enhancement of five general seats, three
additional seats
for women and enforcement of the District Government System
in NAs with
majority votes.
The sources confirmed that these recommendations had been
sent to the
federal government for final approval before the Northern
Areas general
election, if approved, would be held for 37 including eight
seats for women.
HOME PAGE