Chairman of World Punjabi Congress, Fakhar Zaman, disclosed on Thursday that Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was not in favour of the division of Punjab.
He said he remembered when he was President Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Punjab and the question of division of Punjab was brought up by a few Sindhi and Saraiki MNA’s but Benazir told them emphatically that Punjab had been the bastion of PPP and she would not like to disturb this powerbase of the party.
Zaman said that it was unjustified to divide Punjab as it “reeked of conspiracy by chauvinists who were against Punjabi culture, language and heritage”. He emphasized that it seemed as if some vested interest lied especially within the feudal’s who proclaimed to be preachers of one language hegemony yet want that Punjab should lose its rich identity.
While addressing a large gathering of writers, scholars, political workers and members of civil society in Lahore at Alhamra Hall, he observed that any such effort may lead to further strife in the country and would eventually delay elections which are the need of the hour.
He said that the four provinces of Pakistan were like four brothers whose representatives could also sit together and find some plausible, justified solution.
He said the proposed division of Punjab would only serve the interest of waderas, bureaucrats and conspirators. Zaman said that he was sure that the division was neither the demand of the poor, employed people nor would it solve any of their problems.
Rather, it would accentuate their myriad difficulties of life. He appealed to the exploited populace, especially of the South Punjab to visualize when only the feudal’s would be at the helm of affairs of their proposed new units of Punjab. He recalled that partition of Punjab in India into three parts led decrease in economy in East Punjab.