At two different places in south Punjab, Prime Minister Gilani made observation about some of the issues of national politics. Without directly referring to the recent differences between a parliamentary committee and Supreme Court (SC) and between the executive and Supreme Court, he maintained that the government would not allow anyone to interfere in its affairs because it had not interfered in the jurisdiction of any other institution. The constitution has clearly spelled out the scope and the functions of the executive, legislature and judiciary. It is for all the institutions not to transcend their limits while exercising their authority. Unless the ongoing acrimony is ended, it could lead to the system again being wrapped up.
Gilani has promised that the demand for a separate Seraiki province would be included in the PPPs manifesto in the next elections. Gilani thus becomes the first Prime Minister to publicly support the demand while the PPP the first mainstream party to make it a part of its electoral platform. Earlier, small groups of legislators both in the PPP and PML(Q) had supported the creation of a Seraiki province without getting much encouragement from their respective leadership. The opponents of the PPP are likely to portray the move as an election gimmick aimed at striking at the PML(N)s support base in Punjab. The creation of a new province without evolving a consensus can give birth to the fresh disputes as has happened in the case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(KP). There is a need under the circumstances to develop a national understanding over the issue. There are disputes that need to be settled regarding which districts can rightly be designated as Seraiki districts. Bahawalnagar being a part of the former Bahawalpur state can, for instance, be called a Seraiki district. But the vast majority of the population in the district, according to the last census report, is Punjabi speaking. Again, all Seraiki groups consider Dera Ismail Khan a part of the Seraiki heartland. The Pushtun population in KP, however, strongly resents the claim.
Gilani has a point when he says that the final judgment about the performance of a government should wait till it has completed its tenure. But this does not bar the observers from making an assessment of its three-year performance and making projections about what to expect in the next two years. For instance, while Gilani has cited the anti-poverty measures taken by the government, there are many who think they affect only a fraction of the population. Gilani has promised higher prices for agricultural goods. But with the prospects of a bumper wheat crop this year, does the government have the funds to pay for the support price and the means to store the produce?
