South Punjab province bill to be tabled in NA soon: Qureshi

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: After nearly two years in power, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has finally decided to take practical steps for fulfilling its election promise of creating South Punjab province, as Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced on Wednesday a bill for the purpose is to be tabled in the National Assembly soon.

The minister made the announcement at a news conference at Parliament House following a high-level meeting on South Punjab province chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, which reviewed matters related to the proposed province.

Qureshi, however, said as the ruling PTI did not have two-thirds majority in Parliament required for carving out a new province, it would reach out other political parties for the formation of the province with mutual consensus. He expressed the hope the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would favour the bill. The minister also urged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers to convince their leadership to support the bill. He further said: “The capital of South Punjab will be decided after consultations with people on the both sides of the isle.”

Qureshi, who is from Multan, congratulated the people of south Punjab and said Punjab’s 35 per cent budget would be allocated for the new province. He lamented that in the past, pledged funds for the region were not allocated in letter and spirit.

The minister said an additional chief secretary and additional inspector general of police would be appointed for South Punjab in April, adding one of the officials would set up their office in Multan and the other in Bahawalpur.

Qureshi stressed adequate measures were being taken to fulfil the election promise for South Punjab province. Once the province was created, he added, it would be provided its due share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, speaking to the media alongside the foreign minister, said development of country’s less developed areas was on the agenda of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

She said the Prime Minister and PTI leadership realised the problems of the people of south Punjab, therefore, they were taking steps to address them.

The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Qureshi, PTI leader Jahangir Tareen, Food Minister Khusro Bakhtiar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.