Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday said the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) government was not sincere in the formulation of South Punjab and Bahawalpur provinces and was only doing politics ahead of the upcoming general elections
Addressing a press conference, Nisar said the opposition had serious reservations over the Parliamentary Commission on Creation of New Province as it had members from the ANP and the MQM with no representation from Punjab.
“Not even one of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, who are members of the commission, belong to Punjab that is being divided,” the opposition leader said, adding that it was the party’s right to choose a member on its own.
“The chairman of the commission is President Asif Zardari’s staff officer. There is no MNA, MPA or senator from Punjab”.
He said the formulation of a new province was not a matter of grave concern as there were other major issues in the country, adding that if South Punjab province was formed, Punjab Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood would become its chief minister and Yousaf Raza Gilani would become the governor. “The problems of the poor people will remain as they are,” he added. Nisar said the PML-N would table its own amendment bill for the creation of Bahawalpur and South Punjab provinces in line with the resolutions passed by the Punjab Assembly.
