Shah Mehmood Qureshi urges opposition to have ‘open heart’ on South Punjab province

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has urged opposition parties to demonstrate “open heartedness” and support the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in making a separate province of South Punjab a reality.

Addressing a news conference here on Saturday, Qureshi said the PTI government is “serious” for the creation of a South Punjab province. A bill to this effect will be presented before Parliament, he added. “Opposition parties should demonstrate open-heartedness and support the government in fulfilling the longstanding demand of the people of this region,” he added.

Qureshi urged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmakers from southern Punjab to join the PTI government in moving forward with establishing a separate province by forming a political consensus.

“You say you want a South Punjab province. If you truly want this, show us. Join the government. Don’t just make statements. Step forward practically and assist us,” Qureshi added. “Take credit for it if you want, we are not opposed to that. But let us move forward.”

The foreign minister added: “Refrain from the mindset that ‘we will not do anything nor allow anything to be done’. Only if the people of this area work together can this move forward. If we remain entangled [fighting] with each other, we may be able to score political points, but we will not be able to achieve our goal. Now the decision has to be made by the people and their elected representatives.”

The foreign minister also clarified that claims of the secretariat being established in Bahawalpur were false. “I am categorically saying that such a decision was not taken,” Qureshi said.

The decision of where to establish the secretariat will be made by the South Punjab Assembly, keeping in mind needs merit and feasibility, he added.