In response to PPP rallies: PTI to march on Sindh from Punjab, says Qureshi

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday said Bilawal Bhutto will leave Karachi for protest march in February, while the PTI will lead a march into Sindh from Punjab.

Talking to journalists here at National Fertilizer Corporation Institute of Engineering after laying down the foundation stone of a solar energy project, he said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is taking practical steps to create a separate province in southern Punjab. NFC Institute of Engineering vice chancellor Prof Dr Akhtar Kalro and Punjab Energy Minister Dr Akhtar Malik were also present on the occasion.

Shah Mehmood Qurshi said that corona has largely affected business activity across the country. The PTI government has improved economy by giving a 5.7pc growth despite the corona pandemic. The economy is improving for the last two years and expressed the hope that the current year will be a year of recovery despite difficult circumstances. He said the IMF conditions had to be complied with unwillingly. The PTI is aware of the plight of the poor and we have to take many steps to lessen the burden on the common man.” Responding to query, he said Pakistan fought against terrorism and will continue doing so. Qureshi said they won against terrorists by offering sacrifices but those who destabilized Pakistan will have to suffer.

Regarding Southern Punjab province, he said the PTI does not have two thirds majority to do that on their own. However, they have made substantive progress by establishing secretariats in Bahawalpur and Multan. They have also fenced the budget of South Punjab, he said and added the Punjab Assembly passed two budgets for South and North Punjab. Punjab's 32pc employment quota will be given to the youth of South Punjab. Qureshi said the PTI is providing administrative powers in different government departments to improve services.

He said a 35pc development budget has also been allocated for the South Punjab divisions.

While quoting opposition leader in the Senate and former Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, he said that Gillani said a separate province is needed, not a secretariat, and questioned Gillani, “Will you support us to pass the bill for separate province in the Assembly? " He said that he has formally invited mainstream political leadership to develop consensus on the creation of south Punjab separate province and said letters have been written to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Mian Shahbaz Sharif and others. He requested parliamentary leaders to nominate two members of their parties for the special committee of Parliament which will draft the amendment bill. While criticizing Pakistan Peoples Party, the minister said that all political parties of Sindh have rejected the provincial local government act.