PSP demands Seraiki province

MULTAN: Pakistan Seraiki Party (PSP) has rejected establishment of a sub-secretariat instead of a full-fledged Seraiki province.

It warned that the Seraiki nationalists would not allow Prime Minister Imran Khan to take U-turn from his pre-election announcement of creating a separate province in 100 days of taking over the government.

Addressing a gathering at the PSP camp set up to remind PTI of its commitment, PSP president Allah Nawaz said that the premier was justifying his U-turn in politics. The lollipop of sub-secretariat is not acceptable at any level, he added. Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) is toeing the footsteps of former PML-N government.

The people of Seraiki region washed out the PML-N in the last general elections after its betrayal from the creation of a separate province and same tactics have been adopted by the PTI. He said that party founder barrister Taj Langah had struggled throughout his life for the creation of Seraiki province.

He warned of launching an agitation drive in consultation with the Seraiki nationalists, political workers, poets, writers and other political parties.

Seraikistan Qaumi Council chairman Zahoor Dhareja said that PTI had no right to befool the Seraikis.

He said the people of Seraiki belt had been doing struggle for a separate province for the last 25 years in a democratic manner and it would be an injustice if their demand were not entertained.

He appealed to the lawmakers of Seraiki region to set aside their political prejudices and unanimously force the PTI government to create Seraiki province rather a sub-secretariat. He said the creation of Seraiki province would strengthen the federation.

case ordered against two cops: The Lahore High Court Multan Bench Friday released a citizen kept in habeas corpus of police and ordered the Sahiwal district police for taking action against the two cops for lying in the court and manhandling a citizen.

The court also ordered registering criminal cases against both the cops. Earlier, Asghar Ali of Sahiwal filed a habeas corpus petition before the LHC Multan Bench, stating that heavy contingent of police arrested his son Zaheer Abbas 10 days ago from his house at midnight. The petitioner alleged that police were inhumanly torturing his son in custody. The LHC Multan Bench bailiff visited the Sahiwal Shahakot police station and submitted a report before the court, stating that the bailiff failed to trace the missing Zaheer Abbas. The bailiff also found some articles from the police station that belonged to Abbas. Later, the SHO informed the court that the missing youth was in the custody of Chichawatni police in a theft case.

The court ordered the Shahkot SHO to produce of Chichawatni police investigation officer and missing youth in two hours before the court. The Chichawatni police produced the missing youth in the evening before the court.

The court rejected the police statements and ordered the Sahiwal DPO for taking stern action against Chichawatni, Shahkot SHOs and IOs and ordered the release of the youth. It also ordered the LHC Multan Bench chief security officer for medical examination of Zaheer Abbas and adjourned the case for November 28.