MULTAN The City

Second death anniversary of Taj Langah
Speakers demand Seraiki province
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: The Pakistan Seraiki Party (PSP) organised a Rehbar-e-Seraikistan conference on the second death anniversary of party founder barrister Taj Muhammad Langah here on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, political workers, writers, intellectuals and nationalists paid tribute to Taj Muhammad Langah. They demanded the government declare April 7 a national holiday in recognition of struggle of Taj Langah, an aide PPP chairman Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Mubashir Hassan and Khursheed Hassan Mir. They also demanded the government establish the Seraiki province.
Dr Nukhba Taj Langah said that Taj Langah was not only a great statesman, but also a loving father. She said that the Seraiki movement remained his priority in his life. She appealed to the Seraiki political parties to join hands with the PSP in the larger interest for Seraiki cause. Dr Nukhba Taj said that the conference would open doors for dialogue among all Seraiki factions. PSP senior leader Syed Hassan Raza said that Taj Langah launched the Seraiki Suba Mahaz in 1984 and the Pakistan Seraiki Party on April 7, 1989. He said that the party had lobbied hard under his leadership for provincial status to Seraiki belt.
Senior parliamentarian and Baloch nationalist Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch supported the demand for Seraiki province. PPP senior leader Syed Ahmad Mujtaba Gillani said that the PPP had made sincere efforts under the leadership of the then prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani for the creation of Seraiki province and tabled resolutions in this regard. He assured the PPP cooperation in creation of Seraiki province.
PPP south Punjab acting general secretary Dr Javed Siddique criticised the PML-N government for creating hurdles to the establishment of Seraiki province. He demanded creation of Seraiki province in light of the assembly resolutions and said the credit went to the PPP for raising voices for the creation of the fifth province. He said that the PML-N had government announced Rs 50 billion development projects for south Punjab but released only Rs 5 billion. He said that the PPP government had approved the Multan-Faisalabad motorway project but the PML-N government had stopped the project. He said that the Seraiki region was facing deprivation due to the discriminatory policies of the PML-N government. He said that former PM Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani had released funds for construction of a bridge at Nishtar Ghat but the project had been left uncompleted. He said that the PPP government had released Rs 650 million for the construction of the Multan Cancer Hospital but the PML-N government also stopped it. He said that the government had failed to deliver on all fronts.
Senior journalist Haider Javed Syed, Awami Jamhoori Party senior vice-president Mukhtar Abbasi and others also spoke on the occasion.
Meanwhile, PSP chief organiser Mian Mansoor Karim boycotted the conference over differences on party organisational matters with the leadership. He left the conference when speeches were being delivered.