Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab executive council, endorsing the demand of a separate South Punjab province, has pledged full support to the cause.
The newly elected PPP Punjab executive council and Finance Committee members in their maiden meeting held at a local hotel on Monday unanimously adopted the point of view, adding that PPP would continue to lead the masses sincerely.
PPP Punjab President Imtiaz Safdar Warraich said PPP wanted the people of South Punjab to get their due rights, adding that PML-N’s allegation that it was doing so to garner votes was false.
He said when Rs 75 billion would be allocated for one district and the others would be ignored, people would feel a sense of deprivation.
PPP always supported the members of Punjab assembly whenever they raised voice for the rights of south Punjab, he added. He asked all the PPP workers to be united to face all the challenges. He said PML-N’s Javed Hashmi was asking for the division of Punjab also.
PPP instead of focusing on just one new province in south Punjab should think about making every division a province. This way we will have 28 provinces which is still less than Iran with 31 and Afghanistan with 34.
A Commission or Committee, whatever name you give to it, should be formed. All political parties should get representation on it. A consensus should be reached like in the case of 18th Amendment, even if it takes a little longer. Once a consensus is reached, constitutional requirements may be completed to form new provinces. We must not adopt method of Nawaz Sharif during his second tenure when Constitutional Amendments were passed in a matter of minutes without any debate.
Punjab with 36 districts can work out administratively 6 Provinces and name them after the Sages or Comedians, but certainly not the Politicians or Generals. Surveyor-General of Punjab can mark the boundaries of the new provinces and if the people do
not wish ethnic names ? let them be known as North East, North West, South East, South West, North Central and South Central. Once Punjab gets ready to be carved in
larger interest of socio-economic development other Provinces can follow suit.
I don't think why we are making too much out of nothing. With new province in Punjab- namely Saraiki Suba- heaven will not fall down on the earth. It instead will forge national unity. Saraiki people have never considered themselves part of Punjab. They always have had maintained their sperate identity. Though apparently respective Govt.s, civilians & military alike, kept picking up figures from this largely ignored belt in order to appease sentiments of people but somehow this desire amongst Saraiki people to have "freedom" from Punjab control kept brewing. Today it has become everybody's demand in Saraiki belt. A section of media, un-necessarily, trying to falsify this idea provoking one curosity after the other. But there's no point in fighting of a tide. We must all read clearly written writing on the wall and act wisely. Let people in Saraiki Districts have their own province.
SHAHID HUSSEIN QABOOLPURIA,
LAHORE, PAKISTAN
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