LAHORE – Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani has demanded the prime minister to inform the people of Bahawalpur about the geographical demarcation of a Seraiki province within 48 hours. Addressing a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Monday, Durrani said that instead of making political statements for garnering support for next election, the prime minister should announce the plans that the PPP government had in mind for creating the Seraiki province.
He said the people of Bahawalpur would resort to strong protests in the next 48 hours if the prime minister did not interpret his statement regarding the map of the proposed Seraiki province and if Bahawalpur was included in the said province. Accusing the Punjab government of sending “front men” to acquire lands on throwaway prices in Bahawalpur and other parts of southern Punjab, he asked the Punjab chief minister to check suspected auctions in the stated areas.
He demanded the provincial government to cancel the purchase of 39 pieces of land in Bahawalpur on a throwaway price of Rs 850 million, as land was worth over Rs 30 billion. Durrani also demanded the provincial government to cancel the auction of another 123 pieces of land in Bahawalpur. To a query, he said Bahawalpur province should consist of Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Lodhran districts.
