MULTAN - The defections from ruling PML-N do not seem to end as three more serving members of Punjab Assembly and a former one announced on Wednesday quitting the party and joining Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaaz (JPSM).

Those who defected included MPA from PP-219 Jahanian Karam Daad Wahla, MPA PP-264 Layyah Sardar Qaisar Magsi and MPA PP-252 Muzaffargarh Zeeshan Gurmani as well as ex-MPA from Khanewal Pir Jamil Shah. The MPAs made announced in the presence of Mahaaz’s leaders Tahir Bashir Cheema, Rana Qasim Noon and Ch Tahir Iqbal.

Addressing a joint news conference here at a local hotel, Rana Qasim Noon said that the parliamentarians from South Punjab get the status of a peon, adding that the time has come to launch a massive movement to retrieve genuine right of residents of South Punjab from the rulers. He said that there is no reversal of demand for South Punjab province. He demanded the Punjab Chief Minister to hold a referendum on South Punjab province which would prove the popularity of the demand.

Talking to the journalists on the occasion, Tahir Bashir Cheema and Tahir Iqbal said that 90 percent of the elected representatives raised voice for a separate province as just Lahore could not carry the burden of the entire province. They said that South Punjab is subjected to financial and social exploitation and the province was not created despite 18th amendment.

They asserted that the current movement for the province is different from previous ones as elected representatives resigned from assemblies and started drive. They said that they do not support regionalism and want to see the federation strong. “That’s why it is our demand that a separate province should be created on administrative grounds,” they demanded. They said that the total population of three remaining provinces is less than just Punjab. They said that the Mahaaz has tabled resolution for the province in the assembly and talks have already been held with all big parties including PTI, PPP and Pir Pagara. They said that another delegation of PPP was ready to hold talks with the Mahaaz and it could make alliance with any national political party.

They said that the PML-N could get approved province from provincial and national assemblies as well as senate in just three days. They claimed that only that political party would win from South Punjab which would support the separate province. They lamented that Shehbaz Sharif got votes in the name of province in 2013 and then did not even talk about it for five years.

They pointed out that although Rs206 billion was allocated in Punjab’s budget for the south, even one fourth of this amount could not be spent. “However, Rs240 billion is spent on just Orange Train in Lahore,” they maintained. They said that there was no power except masse behind them.

They declared that they would appear before the speaker on April 30 for the confirmation of their resignations. They said that if the PML-N and PPP could get together on Chief Election Commissioner and Chairman Senate, who couldn’t they develop consensus on South Punjab province. They said that Bilawal Bhutto claimed that his party wanted to create the province but PML-N did not let them do this. “We’ll not tolerate such lame excuses now,” they warned. They said that both PPP and PML-N did point scoring on the province issue. They regretted that humans and animals drank water from the same pond in many areas of South Punjab. They said that Mian Nawaz Sharif reiterated that the vote should be respected but at this time voter sought respect. They claimed that the PML-N would face humiliating defeat in current election.