Daily Times

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Wednesday said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will table a bill in the National Assembly soon for the establishment of ‘South Punjab’ province.

Talking to reporters here at the Parliament House after a meeting regarding South Punjab chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, he congratulated the people as the final look is under review for the establishment of South Punjab province which is on the cards. He said 35% budget of Punjab will be allocated for South Punjab. He said in the past, the funds for the region were promised but not allocated in letter and spirit.

He said in April, an additional chief secretary and additional inspector general of police for South Punjab will be appointed, adding that one of the officials will set up his office in Multan while the other one in Bahawalpur. He said adequate measures are being adopted to fulfill the promise for establishing South Punjab province. He said once the new province is created, it will also be given its due share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.

Qureshi said the ruling party will reach out to the other political parties for the formation of the province with mutual consensus. “Right now, no party has a two-thirds majority in the Parliament,” he said, and expressed the hope that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will favor the bill. He also urged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders in the Parliament to convince their leadership to support the bill. “The capital of South Punjab will be decided after consultations with people on the both sides of the isle,” he maintained.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that development of less-developed areas of the country is the agenda of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Talking to media along with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi outside Parliament House, she said that prime minister chaired a high level meeting in which matters related to establishment of South Punjab province were reviewed. She said that the PM and PTI leadership realizes the problems of the people of South Punjab and steps are being taken to resolve their problems.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting regarding the matters relating to South Punjab. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Khan Tareen, Minister for National Food Security Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, Minister of State Shabbir Ali Qureshi, Syed Fakhar Imam, Special Assistant to PM on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, provincial ministers, members of National Assembly and provincial assembles belonging to South Punjab, chief secretary Punjab, inspector general of police Punjab and other senior officers.