Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said on Wednesday that Hazara province would be formed “soon”.
Addressing a PML-Q Parliamentary Party meeting, they said, “We saved Islamabad from violence and bloodshed, and those talking now were watching developments from a long distance.”
Chaired by Shujaat and attended by PML-Q federal ministers, senators and members of the national and provincial assemblies, the meeting reviewed the prevailing political situation in the country and exchanged views about the line of action of the party in future.
Both the leaders apprised the meeting about their efforts regarding the peaceful culmination of Dr Tahirul Qadri’s long march. The meeting praised the role of Chaudhry Shujaat on tactfully handling the matter.
Shujaat said the last two days of the long march were very worrisome, claiming that he had remained sleepless for two nights. He said that he was in favour of the steps taken by the government in Balochistan, adding that democracy was safe in the province and circumstances were gradually moving towards improvement.
In his address, Elahi said that his party would have seat-to-seat adjustments with allied parties in the upcoming elections. He said that much headway had been made about the creation of South Punjab province, and that Hazara province would also be made soon.
Through a resolution unanimously adopted by the meeting, it was demanded that the process for the formation of Hazara province should be started immediately. The resolution further demanded that the Hazara province should be established through the commission for South Punjab. It also said that Bhakkar and Mianwali districts should also be included in South Punjab province so that water and resources are equitably distributed and new disputes do not arise among the provinces. It added that Chashma and Jinnah Barrages, which irrigate Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan divisions, should also be included in the new province.
