Bahawalpur province at all costs: minister

Ag APP

BAHAWALPUR: Federal Minister for Housing Tariq Bashir Cheema has said he will wage a struggle for restoration of Bahawalpur province even at the cost of provincial government.

Addressing a news conference at his residence here on Thursday, he said he would knock at every door to seek support for restoration of Bahawalpur as a province. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan, during his visit to the city, had promised restoring the Bahawalpur province, and hoped that he (PM) would fulfil his promise.

He said there was historical evidence that Bahawalpur enjoyed the status of a province after it was merged into newly-formed state of Pakistan. “Bahawalpur was given the status of a province after it was merged into Pakistan and it enjoyed this status for few years till One-Unit was created,” he added.

He said he respected Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi, but he was shocked to read his statement that a province could not be made consisting of only three districts. “When Bahawalpur had already enjoyed the status of a province, then there is no question of it having only three districts,” he added.

He said a European country, Switzerland, had land area less than Bahawalpur region, adding that then why Bahawalpur having a vast land area could not have the status of a province.

He said a bill had already been moved in the parliament about creation of two provinces including Bahawalpur province and southern Punjab province in the region. “I will meet Shah Mahmood Qureshi to remove his reservations about Bahawalpur province,” he said, adding that there was no voice for southern Punjab province before year 1985, but there had been a demand for restoration of Bahawalpur province for long.

He said his party, Pakistan Muslim League-Q, is partner of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led coalition government. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan himself had promised restoration of Bahawalpur province. “During his election campaign, PM Imran Khan, while addressing a public gathering in Bahawalpur, had promised that he would restore status of province of Bahawalpur if he came into power,” Cheema recalled.

He said a national commission should be formed that would allocate assembly seats to new provinces. He offered the stakeholders conduct referendum to ascertain the opinion of the people of Bahawalpur about their province. “People of Bahawalpur will vote only for restoration of their own province,” he added.

He said that his party would welcome every political party which would support the demand for restoration of Bahawalpur province.

Meanwhile, he visited the residence of former federal minister, Engineer Balighur Rehman to condole with him over the death of his wife and son. Both lost their lives when their car met an accident.