Islamabad: The regional assembly in Pakistan’s province of Punjab on Wednesday passed a resolution rejecting a parliamentary commission formed by the National Assembly speaker to evolve consensus on a plan to create new provinces in Punjab.

The resolution was moved by the provincial government of the country’s main opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), triggering an uproar by members belonging to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which leads the opposition in the provincial legislature.

Adopted amid shouts by PPP lawmakers, the resolution calls for formation of a national commission to deal with the issue not only with regard to Punjab but also other provinces of the country.

The rumpus spilled over outside the Punjab assembly as provincial law minister spoke to reporters and PPP female lawmakers booed and shouted to disrupt.

Sanaullah said the provincial government and PML-N reject what he called “Zardari commission,” referring to President Asif Ali Zardari, who is also PPP co-chairman.

Apart from the boycott by PML-N, the Punjab assembly speaker also avoided sending names of two provincial legislators who are to be part of the 14-member commission constituted earlier this month by National Assembly Speaker Dr Febmida Mirza.

Coinciding with the first meeting of the held Tuesday in Islamabad, Balochistan province Chief Minsiter Aslam Raisani warned in a statement against likely repercussions of the new provinces scheme for the unity and integrity of the country.

Raisani said political expediency was the motive behind the plan and called for abandoning it in larger national interest.

“The issue of new provinces will lead to anarchy which would be difficult to control,” said Raisani, who belongs to the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which had initiated the plan apparently with an eye on the next general elections now only months away.

PPP has promised a new province in southern part of Punjab, taking in districts where the majority of residents speak Seraiki language, as part of its election strategy in which outvoting PML-N in its Punjab stronghold is an avowed aim of the party.

President Asif Ali Zardari, who is also PPP co-chairman, and other party leaders have often publicly claimed their party would wrest control in Punjab, currently ruled by PML-N that emerged as the largest single party in the provincial assembly in the February 2008 general elections.

The Punjab assembly had passed a resolution with simple majority in support of new provinces in the region, with PML-N putting no hurdles because of political considerations. The National Assembly had also adopted a resolution authorising the speaker to form the commission.

Zardari sent a message to the National Assembly speaker who formed the 14-member commission on August 16, nominating 12 of its members drawn from the two houses of the federal parliament and belonging to different parties including PML-N and said two will be nominated by the Punjab assembly speaker.

In its first meeting the commission elected PPP senator and president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar as its chairman, who told the media that he would request the PML-N to take part in the deliberations of the commission.

PML-N opposition leader in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced rejection of the commission in its present form and termed it a political ploy of PPP to hoodwink people before the general elections.

Nisar told the media that the PML-N would accept only a national commission on new provinces and suggested that a commission should be formed on the pattern of such a body formed in neighbouring India.

Analysts say creation of new provinces is a complex exercise requiring first a resolution passed with two-third majority by Punjab assembly and then an amendment to the constitution passed by same majority by the parliament.

As PPP and its allies lack the needed numbers, PML-N support is indispensable for carrying out a plan to divide Punjab, they point out.