MULTAN-MNA Rana Qasim Noon, who defected from PML-N, disclosed on Friday that the Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaaz (JPSM) will contest upcoming elections with full vigour and will create South Punjab province within first 100 days of its government.
"The mahaaz has held talks with different political parties and leaders for the creation of South Punjab province," he informed while addressing a news conference here at Multan Press Club.
Mr Noon said that the mahaaz had held talks with Pir Pagara and Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi while dialogue is underway with other political parties as well. He declared that the members of the mahaaz have tabled a resolution in Punjab Assembly for a separate province and any political including the PML-N who supports the province would be welcomed in the struggle. The JPSM asserted that the mahaaz is ready to hold talks with Saraiki parties, especially the residents of Dera Ismail Khan and Tank. "But this is the time to create the province. Issues like the boundaries of the province can be decided by coming assembly," he pointed out. He said that although the politicians are responsible for not creation of province, "yet we needed to change our decaying system."
He said that the PPP government had also raised the slogan of Saraiki province in the past but the issue did not go beyond resolutions. "Neither Saraiki bank nor Saraiki university could be established. Despite PPP's majority in Senate the bill was not approved," he regretted. He said that the PML-N gave the lollypop of South Punjab province in 2013 elections but this promise was not fulfilled. He further pointed out that the Governor also got issued notification for a secretariat in Multan but it could not be materialised too. He said that it was an historic fact that Multan was a province and Lahore was a small town in its suburbs. He said that the current government treated South Punjab region like Ranjeet Singh. He pointed out that 36 per cent budget was allocated for South Punjab in papers but actually just 17 percent was spent.
He said that creation of two provinces was not possible, adding that although Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan areas are also very important. "That's why we demand creation of one South Punjab province on administrative grounds. Our agriculture will grow and we'll have our own province. We won't have to stretch hand in front of anyone to beg," he noted. He said that South Punjab province would eliminate poverty with its own resources and bring prosperity to the farmers and residents. He said that it was unfortunate that even today humans and animals drank water from the same pond in many areas of South Punjab. "If new provinces can be created in India, Iran, Turkey and Afghanista, why can't it be done in Pakistan?" he raised a question. He said that this process should begin from South Punjab and it would strengthen the federation. He made it clear that the residents of South Punjab did not want a province on lingual grounds rather it was needed for the prosperity of the region.
He stressed upon the politicians to shun the politics of thana culture and gali mohalla as it was the only way to put this region on path of progress. He said that the JPSM did not come into ground on instigation of any bureaucrat rather the members of the mahaaz wanted to secure the interests of their motherland, which was deprived for centuries.
He said that the Chief Minister Punjab could not fulfil his promise of clean drinking water even in five years. He told the media that the members of the mahaaz had resigned from their respective committees and assemblies. "Now the residents of our constituencies are being subjected to vindictive actions. Our development funds have been stopped," he claimed. He said that not even the jobs of peons were given to South Punjab by the PML-N. He declared that he would continue his struggle for the province.