Karachiite
BANNED
- Joined
- May 1, 2010
- Messages
- 3,044
- Reaction score
- -2
- Country
- Location
By Afnan Khan
LAHORE: Supporters of a separate province in Southern Punjab have hailed former federal law minister Babar Awans promise of good news for Saraiki people in Ramazan while the opponents have termed it a conspiracy against the country.
Addressing a press conference, Babar said that the people of Saraiki areas would be given the greatest news in the history of Pakistan during Ramazan. Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Kamil Ali Agha told Daily Times that his party had proposed establishment of separate provinces in Southern Punjab and Hazara area and Babar Awans statement was a positive step in that direction.
He added that the PML-Q had put this as a condition of alliance with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and his party also wanted the government to provide equal resources to the neglected people of these areas.
Agha said that his party also wanted an end to the sense of deprivation in various areas of the country and the party vision of a Southern Punjab province comprised five districts, namely Multan, Bahawalpure, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh and Rahim Yar Khan, adding that things could be further amended during discussion with locals.
However, PML-Nawaz leader Siddiqul Farooq told Daily Times that Babar had a very negative mentality and the whole notion was unconstitutional and would damage the national interest of Pakistan.
He said that constitution did not permit anybody to form provinces on linguistic or sectarian grounds, adding that Babar could cross any limit for his personal or party interest.
He said that provinces could be made on the basis of administrative grounds but that would not only need a two third majority in the National Assembly but would also required a resolution from the assembly of the under consideration province demanding the division, which was not an easy task to do by coming Ramazan.
He said that giving statements on the issue might have been an easy task but there needed extensive debate and legwork to develop boundaries, courts and administrative structure of a new province. He further said that it also seemed that people of Sindh wont support division of Sindh and the same was the case with Balochistan and others.
Saraiki leader Taj Muhammad Langah told Daily Times that people of Saraiki areas were very happy with the announcement by Babar yet they also demanded fulfillment of the promise instead of using the issue merely for political gains.
He said that he would also like to give a good news to Babar and his party that President Asif Ali Zardari would be elected as president for the next term by Saraiki people if he would come forward himself and took this decision through a presidential order.
He said that more than 60 million Saraiki speaking people would not forget this favour of the PPP and they would have bright future if they fulfilled this promise. Langah said that people of Southern Punjab were willing to sit with the government and chalk out boundaries and other terms and conditions for the new province.
However, Baba Haider Zaman, who is leading Hazara province movement while seeking administratively separate province combining the districts of Haripur, Abottabad, Mansehra, Butt Garam, Kohistan and Kala Dhaka, said that hundreds of thousands of people would organise a long march towards Islamabad if the government announced a separate province in Southern Punjab without establishing Hazara province.
He said that Zardari was the president of the whole country and so was Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, therefore, it was not justified on their part to oblige their favourite people while discriminating the others.
He said that Hazara people had enough resources to run a separate province and they had a strong majority in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and all other parts of the country. He said that there was nothing wrong with building new provinces and our neighboring Iran, Afghanistan and India had dozens of provinces in their countries. He further warned that the government should not create the conditions that led to the separation of East Pakistan due to the discrimination by the federation despite the fact that the Bengalis were very polite and patriotic people.
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
LAHORE: Supporters of a separate province in Southern Punjab have hailed former federal law minister Babar Awans promise of good news for Saraiki people in Ramazan while the opponents have termed it a conspiracy against the country.
Addressing a press conference, Babar said that the people of Saraiki areas would be given the greatest news in the history of Pakistan during Ramazan. Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Kamil Ali Agha told Daily Times that his party had proposed establishment of separate provinces in Southern Punjab and Hazara area and Babar Awans statement was a positive step in that direction.
He added that the PML-Q had put this as a condition of alliance with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and his party also wanted the government to provide equal resources to the neglected people of these areas.
Agha said that his party also wanted an end to the sense of deprivation in various areas of the country and the party vision of a Southern Punjab province comprised five districts, namely Multan, Bahawalpure, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh and Rahim Yar Khan, adding that things could be further amended during discussion with locals.
However, PML-Nawaz leader Siddiqul Farooq told Daily Times that Babar had a very negative mentality and the whole notion was unconstitutional and would damage the national interest of Pakistan.
He said that constitution did not permit anybody to form provinces on linguistic or sectarian grounds, adding that Babar could cross any limit for his personal or party interest.
He said that provinces could be made on the basis of administrative grounds but that would not only need a two third majority in the National Assembly but would also required a resolution from the assembly of the under consideration province demanding the division, which was not an easy task to do by coming Ramazan.
He said that giving statements on the issue might have been an easy task but there needed extensive debate and legwork to develop boundaries, courts and administrative structure of a new province. He further said that it also seemed that people of Sindh wont support division of Sindh and the same was the case with Balochistan and others.
Saraiki leader Taj Muhammad Langah told Daily Times that people of Saraiki areas were very happy with the announcement by Babar yet they also demanded fulfillment of the promise instead of using the issue merely for political gains.
He said that he would also like to give a good news to Babar and his party that President Asif Ali Zardari would be elected as president for the next term by Saraiki people if he would come forward himself and took this decision through a presidential order.
He said that more than 60 million Saraiki speaking people would not forget this favour of the PPP and they would have bright future if they fulfilled this promise. Langah said that people of Southern Punjab were willing to sit with the government and chalk out boundaries and other terms and conditions for the new province.
However, Baba Haider Zaman, who is leading Hazara province movement while seeking administratively separate province combining the districts of Haripur, Abottabad, Mansehra, Butt Garam, Kohistan and Kala Dhaka, said that hundreds of thousands of people would organise a long march towards Islamabad if the government announced a separate province in Southern Punjab without establishing Hazara province.
He said that Zardari was the president of the whole country and so was Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, therefore, it was not justified on their part to oblige their favourite people while discriminating the others.
He said that Hazara people had enough resources to run a separate province and they had a strong majority in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and all other parts of the country. He said that there was nothing wrong with building new provinces and our neighboring Iran, Afghanistan and India had dozens of provinces in their countries. He further warned that the government should not create the conditions that led to the separation of East Pakistan due to the discrimination by the federation despite the fact that the Bengalis were very polite and patriotic people.
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
