PROVINCE REPORT
MARDAN: Senior politician and Senator Haji Dilawar Khan has said he will continue working for greater coordination among provinces, identification of shortcomings in the tax system, protection of national resources and safeguarding the rights of overseas Pakistanis.
Speaking to a delegation of the Mardan Press Club cabinet and senior journalists at his residence, he said he would pursue these issues in his capacity as chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination and member of the Finance Committee and other standing committees.
The delegation, led by Press Club President Lutfullah Lutf, also included senior journalists. Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam district chief Maulana Amanat Shah Haqqani, district information secretary Qazi Bashir Ahmed and Maulana Qaisaruddin were also present.
On the issue of new provinces, Senator Dilawar Khan said the Constitution provided for their creation and that new provinces should eventually be established. However, he said several other issues required greater attention under the prevailing circumstances and the matter should therefore be deferred for the time being.
He said he had repeatedly raised the rights and concerns of tobacco growers and small industrialists at relevant forums and had also highlighted alleged irregularities in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Referring to the alleged theft of cigarettes worth around Rs300 million from FBR warehouses in Swabi, he demanded that those responsible, including officials at senior levels if found involved, be brought to justice. He also called for a high-level investigation into an alleged scam involving raw materials worth hundreds of billions of rupees in the name of factories established in the tribal areas.
Senator Dilawar Khan said he had strongly raised the issue of the “unfortunate incident” at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, in the Senate and its standing committee on health. He said the executive director and other concerned officials were suspended following his demand to facilitate a transparent investigation.
Responding to a question, he said problems concerning biometric verification of bank accounts of overseas Pakistanis had also been resolved after he highlighted the matter. He claimed that billions of dollars in remittances were consequently entering the country through formal banking channels instead of the hawala/hundi system.
The senator appreciated the Mardan Press Club’s role in highlighting the city’s development needs and problems faced by residents at various forums and assured its office-bearers and members of his full cooperation.
