Saturday, August 04, 2012

Saraiki province initiative not against anyone: Zardari

* President says PPP sincere with people of southern Punjab
*
New province will strengthen federation, give people their rights

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said that creation of a new province in southern Punjab was not aimed against anyone but part of a nation-building initiative of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
He said this in a meeting with a delegation comprising notables and parliamentarians from Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar at the Presidency.
He called upon the parliamentarians and notables to go to the masses and present the correct perspective regarding the new province.
The delegation included MNA Makhdoom Shahabuddin, MPAs Muhammad Tariq Amin Hotyana, Mian Muhammad Ali Laleka, Sardar Muhammad Afzal Tatlah and Chaudhry Shaukat Mahmood Basra. Haider Zaman Qureshi, Rao Ijaz Ali Khan, Iftikhar Ali Chishti Jatla, and Amjad Majeed Qureshi were also present during the meeting.
The delegation thanked the president for his interest in the issues of southtern Punjab for removing grievances and deprivations of the people of the area. In this connection, they especially mentioned his efforts to constitute a commission to look into the issue of creation of a separate province for the people of southern Punjab.
While talking to the members of the delegation, Zardari said that PPP was an egalitarian party that believed in the nation-building process and not in the politics of mere slogans or getting votes.
He said that PPP was sincere with the people of southern Punjab and that was why it had promised a separate province for them keeping in view their aspirations and legitimate demands. He said his party would continue making all possible efforts to fulfil its promises during its current tenure.
The president said that making a new province in southern Punjab was part of PPP’s efforts for the masses and would further strengthen the federation by addressing the issues of fair distribution of resources, creation of economic opportunities for the people, legislative and administrative empowerment and other issues of major concern to the people of the area.
He said that the party with the help of its allies had taken the first concrete step by tabling and adopting a resolution in the Lower House of Parliament. He said he looked forward to early constitution of the commission that would look into the issue of creation of a separate province and initiating the process of amendments in the constitution.
The participants of the meeting spoke on a number of issues, especially the issues being faced by the people of southern Punjab, including the prevailing energy crisis. They also brought to the attention of the president various developmental issues of their areas.
Zardari said the government was making every effort to ease the situation regarding power shortage. He said that with necessary financial arrangements that had been made to meet the fuel requirements and rising water level in the reservoirs, it was expected that the situation would improve soon.

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

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