Durrani advises Qureshi to respect Quaid’s decision on Bahawalpur

ISLAMABAD: Former Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani on Friday advised PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi to respect the decision of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who had given Bahawalpur a provincial status.

“Shah Mehmood Qureshi should apologise on his remarks as the status of Bahawalpur was determined by none else but the Founder of Pakistan himself under an understanding reached with the then Ameer and the people of Pakistan loving prosperous State.

It is a historic, constitutional and an undeniable legal right of people of Bahawalpur to have their province restored according to the will and decision of Quaid-e-Azam,” he said responding to a question of media on Friday.

Muhammad Ali Durrani said people of Bahawalpur have rendered great sacrifices for the restoration of their province including of those martyrs who laid their lives for this cause. “Bahawalpuris kept on raising their demand and protest against the dictatorial decision of Yahya Khan.

“Shah Mehmood has become true subject of Yahya Khan by casting aspersions against the justified demand and lawful right of the poorest and badly persecuted area of Bahawalpur,” he added.

Durrani said Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is trying to play mischief with Bahawalpur, appears to be under duress due to internal situation he is being confronted inside PTI and shall soon become a symbol of sorry.

The former federal minister said all those who opposed the oppressed and deprived people of Bahawalpur from their right of restoration of province were thrown in the dust bin of history like Yahya Khan.