Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday rejected PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s offer to form new provinces on administrative basis, saying Seraiki people wanted a province, not an administrative unit. Addressing a public meeting at the inauguration ceremony of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto housing society at Kot Addu tehsil of Muzaffargarh, Gilani said the Seraiki people were decent, but they would never compromise on principles. He said the Pakistan People’s Party was a movement and mission, adding that their workers were ideological. “We feel proud on having such courageous workers,” he said. Gilani said the floods had been major disasters and that it was an honor and pride for him to distribute houses to flood victims.
Gilani thanked President Asif Ali Zardari and the administration of Bahria Town for constructing houses for flood victims. The prime minister said people should reject those who showed disrespect to their mandate and parliament. Addressing the public meeting on the occasion‚ Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said it was the fourth visit of the prime minister to the area, which spoke of the importance he gave to backward areas. She also paid tribute to flood victims who helped themselves by taking full part in the rehabilitation process. On the creation of Seraiki province‚ she said like other promises of the PPP‚ it would be fulfilled soon. She said the creation of a new province would not only eliminate the sense of deprivation of the area but it would make the country more concrete. She said most of the initiated irrigation projects had been completed, while 250 villages had been provided electricity.
Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan thanked the prime minister for visiting a far-flung and backward area. She said the prime minister visited almost each and every village and town which had been hit by floods and was fulfilling his pledge to rehabilitate them quickly. She said it was a big challenge but President Asif Ali Zardari and others worked tirelessly to involve all in this work of rehabilitation.
She also praised the media’s role in projecting the problems.
PPP Southern Punjab President Makhdoom Shuhabuddin said the PPP would implement its complete manifesto envisaging the vision of Benazir Bhutto to empower the women. The prime minister formally inaugurated newly constructed houses in the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Basti in Kot Addu and distributed the keys and the allotments letters to deserving flood affected people.
One hundred and forty three houses have so far been built for flood-affected people, part of a project to provide 35,000 houses to flood victims.
The Pir from Seraikistan , our PM (unfortunately) should also realise that the Hindko speakers of KP want a province of their own too; Hazara.
So by the way do the people of Bawalpur. So he should stop pontificating over his Seraiki speaking province and do something.
This government may very well live to regret letting the genie out of the bottle over this issue. The Four provinces were a settled issue but now they are in question. The PPP were always good at divide and rule.
Why is everything named after benazir? I am just waiting for the time that ppp will propose to change the name of Pakistan to benaziristan. The bit*h was a crook and looted Pakistan. If she was not born from the spe*m of zulfiqar bhutto, she would be a nobody. Look at how she turned against her own mother and ousted her from the chairmanship.
Our three provinces needs some hair cut. There is a dire need to have more provinces not only in Punjab but also in KP and Baluchistan. 3+3+3= 9 more provinces. This is good for the country and its people.
And of course the Serakais want a "Shah Gee" to lead them into the brave new future. This is obviously a scam to claim more of serakai land through a serakai Supreme court.
agar aik nakaam shakhs se itna bara sooba nnhi sambhala ja sakta to mazeed soobay banana lazmi he
what punjabis have done wrong with ppp.he looks only seraikis are innocent what other people.bcoz gilani belongs to that backward area that is why he wantd to become the hero in htese peoples eyes.A time will come when the people of Lahore will realise their mistakes by accomodating these opportunists elements in its soil.but it will be useless to cry oversplit milk.no body will come forward to help punjabis.TO SAVE PUNJAB FROM THESE LUTAIRAS AND THIEVES.
It is not the matter of PUNJABIS,I my self is a punjabi but SUPPORT seraiki province ( as a principle )
just to get votes. nothing else. these are the real culprits behind the common people’s problems. add shah mehmood qureshi as well. many times big slots bt done nothing. nw coming in new guise.
Please think about consequences of dividing Punjab before it is too late. Is there any consensus about the boundaries of this potential new province? If our honorable prime minister agrees to 21 districts being part of the proposed Saraiki Province, can 31 % Saraikis have all that is being aspired? If majority Saraiki districts are considered, what will be the future of settlers and immigrants in this province? Wouldn't it lay foundation of an explosive outcome? Even in majority areas, Bahawalnagar, Vehari and Khanewal do not have majority of Saraikis, are we willing to accept remaining 8 or 6 districts (with or without Bahawalpur) for this province? Would it be acceptable? Do we have resources to draw new hydraulic lines to minimize dependence on central Punjab? What will happen to dysfunctional rivers of Ravi and Setluj? Can we afford to have new Pandora Box opened by revisiting the Apportionment Accord of 1991? It took more than a century to settle this river water distribution, aren't we asking for another century or more to arrive a new settlement? Is there there a consent secured from Sindh to use Chashma – Jhelum canal to draw water from the Indus? Do we have plan to renegotiate the resource distribution /shares at federal level? Do we have resources to build costly infrastructure and hire army of ministers, secretaries, officials of new high court and new members of establishment? If dialect of yesterday and language of today is the base for the proposed division, why don't we demand all Saraiki speaking areas of Sindh, Balochistan and KPK be also made part of this potential province as a logical outcome?
I do not mind dividing Punjab if the above concerns are addressed, powers are decentralized through devolution as per Article 140 to benefit the masses instead of just creating new positions of chief minister, ministers and officials for the daughters /sons of the feudal elite and their cronies and the province is named as Punjnand to keep its roots intact. If these steps are not taken as a part of proactive planning, I am afraid that we will have another large scale demonstration of Karachi and Sri Lankan model in this area. God forbid, no right minded person will even think of this kind of happening in the area that produce almost 80 percent all agricultural goods to ensure food security in Pakistan.
he wants a province for his son
I wonder this person is Prime Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan or some sort of local slum dog? Instead of vision, performance, delivering to the people, good governance and leading the nation towards Unity, Faith & Discipline he is ruining the country and nation. Hell with these culprits.
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