MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday said that a national consensus was needed for the creation of south Punjab province and added that he was ready to meet the Sharif brothers and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in this regard.
Addressing Seraiki Literary Convention 2018, he said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had about eight more seats in Punjab than Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), however, it required a two-thirds majority for the new province in accordance with the provisions of the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
“I believe that creation of a new province would strengthen the federation and all smaller political parties are ready to support it,” he said, adding that the PTI government was also determined to make south Punjab a separate province.
Qureshi also said that PTI was committed to initiate the process of building consensus on the matter before the completion of its 100 days in the government. “The party is also considering plans to extend short-term relief to the people of south Punjab till the time it attains the status of a new province,” he added.