BAHAWALPUR:
Addressing a public gathering in Chachran Sharif on Saturday, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said that the government will create 100,000 new jobs in the next budget, with the finance minister being advised in this regard.
The prime minister said that problems of south Punjab could not be solved until the creation of a Seraiki province. He added that without the creation of the province, people in the area would remain deprived of their rights.
“Speculations are prevalent that PPP is instigating people for a Seraiki province, but our party is just manifesting the people’s needs,” he said. Prime Minister Gilani remarked that a lot of conspiracies were hatched to finish the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) but it always emerged as a popular and strong political party. “Those who cannot face us in elections are hatching conspiracies, but due to a vibrant media and civil society they cannot derail democracy,” he said.
He was also critical of the Punjab government, saying that if the provincial government had a chance it would topple the PPP government in no time.
The prime minister said, “If I abandon the PPP, President Zardari, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Benazir Bhutto then I am a pious man, otherwise a ‘traitor’,” adding, “I will prefer death over compromising on principles.”
He said that a revolution could never come by changing loyalties and switching political alliances. Premier Gilani assured that employees of the National Commission for Human Development would also be restored in the provinces.
There were also a host of announcements in terms of development.
The prime minister reiterated that a second installment of Watan Cards would be released soon. He told the gathering that he will order the Higher Education Commission to establish an engineering university and an information technology institution in Rahim Yar Khan and promised to allocate funds for a flyover in Rahim Yar Khan in the new budget, Rs50 million for a model city in Chachran Sharif, Rs100 million for a cadet college in Khanpur and Rs1 million for a water supply scheme in Feroza Town.
The premier also inaugurated the construction of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Bridge in Rajanpur. The project will cost Rs7 billion and authorities are claiming that they will complete it in 10 weeks. If so, it will be a record for such a project. The bridge will connect the N-5 national highway with N-55.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2012.
COMMENTS (23)
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@Maria i am Myslef A Punjabi if u talk on Stats Sindh Much Better Governed than Punjab if u would Argue Would me on Karachi then for Ur Information If u Read Daily Newspaper in the Evenings U Would Come to know that almost same number of People are Killed in Lahore Division
On the Other Hand None of the Province has it fate Like Punjab Such as the Dengue Killinds The Medicinal Killings Fake Encounter Killings
Neither Sindh Gov has a Big Corruption Scandal like
Sasti Roti Afsana Housing Scheme (Which Poor has a sum of 12 Lakh) And Many others
When They came Punjab had a Surplus Budget Now they have a Deficit Budget
@Gujranwala789
Well said brother.... Seraikis will follow the constitution to achieve their demands... Are you happy now?
@ Express Tribune: Your choice of words, here, for example, "steadfast," reflects partiality. Instead the title should have just been: "Gilani reiterates stance on Seraiki province." There was no need to characterize it as steadfast, as stubborn, or rigid for that matter.
@ The Express Tribune: Is it not a reasonable comment to publish that we must all rise above petty parochial partialities?
@Abbasi:
Seraiki people will not be allowed to dictate the terms in this country.
@ Seema PPP is only manipulating around the Constitution and institutions. It must first concentrate on solving the real problems of Pakistan.
@ Abbasi: The Seraiki are only a small minority of Pakistan and there too Bahawalpur wants a province of its own. Pakistan is already suffering from infinite divisiveness and this should be remedied rather than exacerbated.
It seems that the Express gives more prominence to PPP supporters!
@ Seema WAPD is under the control of the Federation and if electricity problem as you allege is self-created by WAPDA then it is the responsibility of the Federation to solve it. Extended load shedding and power outages are also outrageous in KPK where the PPP ally rules, so who is responsible here? However, other problems, including galloping inflation is most pressing. Regards, present judiciary, it has reigned in the RPPs who were given contracts based on corruption. It is a ray of hope for Pakistan. Not everyone from South Punjab who opposes the creation of Seraiki province is a turncoat!!!
We have to rise above petty parochial partialities.
thats good atleast the monopoly shud be demolished now
How does creating more provinces fix the fundamental issues of unemployment. If Punjab is already better than any other place in Pakistan why would creating a new province help anyone?
@ Seema WAPD is under the control of the Federation and if the electricity problem as you allege is self-created by WAPDA then it is the responsibility of the Federation to solve it. Extended load shedding and power outages are also outrageous in KPK where the PPP ally rules, so who is responsible here? Please do not malign our judiciary which is one of the two institutions most loyal to the nation. Kindly advise for solving more pressing issues like the unrest in Baluchistan, for example. More provinces are the last thing, if we at all want them. But first things must come first.
@Khalid Mahmood: PPP is going by the rules of constitution, and constitution say if in punjab assembly, saraiky ppl show their strength and loyalty towards their cause it will be possible, if those turncoats like Shah Mohammad Qureshi and Hashmi and other saraiky representative, now in the band wagon of Army lead by Imran, stay away that may harm it, Muhajir want soba then they should come up with majority in sindh assembly. Electricity problem is self created by Wapda and our judiciary, In Sindh during this govt at least Sindhis got employment, no imported bureaucracy installed, as it was done in Musharuff's period and Nawaz's time. If Punjab is crying for unemployment then their punjab govt is responsible.
@ Khalid Mehmood
Creating Seraiki Province is far more important than any other issue for Seraiki people. They have been waiting for a long time. Other issues are of temporary nature and can be solved easily but Seraikis can't wait until the availability of electricity and gas in the country as a necessary condition for the creation of their province.
More provinces would mean more assemblies, more chief ministers and their cabinets, more bureaucracy and more opportunities for nepotism, favoritism, and corruption. This would add tax burdens to the already overburdened population. Why are some politicians afraid of their political future and want to carve out a localized niche to practice their art on a smaller but much surer ground?
@Pakistan Khan: Not just Lahore but Rawalipindi, Gujranwala,Gujrat, Sialkot and Faisalabad is all growing and progressing thanks to stability in Punjab. Ask yourself the simple question as to whether South Punjab would be better off with Sind or Baluchistan rather than Punjab? I am sure that creating another provinicial government in South Punjab will just drag the region down to the level of Sind or Baluchistan rather than lift it up faster to the level of Central or Upper Punjab. I think you know that people in South Punjab attend schools and colleges throughout the province and that people from the region can get employment everywhere. Moreover you should also know that a large portion of bureaucratic and political representation is already from South Punjab. Creating another provincial government there will do nothing to improve conditions there which should be allowed too improve by having it carried forth along with the ongoing development in Punjab. Do you think Upper Sind will develop better if separated from Southern Sind and Karachi?
There are far more pressing issues than the creation of new provinces. Please do not start a chain reaction. Tomorrow would the PPP support the creation of a mohajir province, a FATA province, a Hazara province and so on and so forth? So do not open a Pandora’s Box. Concentrate on solving much more pressing issues, such as, the unrest in Baluchistan. How about saving the industry from falling into disuse as a consequence of non-availability of enough electricity and gas? This is causing much unemployment and discontent. Do something good for the country, please.
For all who support united Punjab,shift the capital to RahimYar Khan or Dera Ghazi khan.I am sure their passion for one province will die down soon.
Good work,Mr prime minister,keep your work up.This is 1st time any feudal from Saraikistan is giving tough time to "Takht e Lahore" menatlity.
A good idea for Maria.... Why not merge all the provinces with Punja so that they also may progress along with Punjab?
@Maria: Best governed Punjab. which Punjab? Do you mean Lahore? I don't see any "good" governance in South Punjab. Why they cannot extend this "good" governance to South Punjab? And for God's sake stop blaming landlords for every evil in the society. It is establishment which decides the destiny of any area not landlords! And plz visit South Punjab, then you would realize how marginalized and underdeveloped it is! Formation of a separate province would solve a lot of problems. At-least people from these areas would get representation in bureaucracy and would also be able to spend their resources on their region. Now they are being treated as a colonial territory by "Punjab".
How can he say that the problems of South Punjab can be solved by creating a separate province? If anything Punjab is the best governed and managed province in Pakistan. The province has shown progress and stability when there have been setbacks in parts of the nation. In both Upper Punjab and Central Punjab there is no feudalism but an emerging modern middle class. Only the South Punjab has some remnant of feudalism so by separating South Punjab, the only ting that will happen is that South Punjab will be as bad as other provinces instead of progressing along with Punjab.
A devoted and sincere JAYALA in its real essence.