In favour of demand for new provinces, says Shehbaz

Members who attended meeting were of the opinion that PML-N’s vote bank has grown

A day after eight lawmakers from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) jumped ship, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said he was in favour of creating new provinces.

According to Express News, Shehbaz met with provincial and national assembly members in Punjab and said that he has always stood with the people of southern Punjab, and even increased the budget for development projects based on the population in his reign.

Criticising the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the chief minister said other governments have used the creation of a new province in southern Punjab as a political slogan for their own political interests.

Shehbaz said development projects worth Rs229 billion will be completed in the region during the current year and 36 per cent of the provincial budget is allocated to the area.



The members who attended the meeting with the chief executive expressed their faith in the PML-N president.

Earlier today, Nawaz claimed that south Punjab has seen plausible development under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif.

On Monday, eight PML-N legislators resigned from the party announcing a mass movement, Junoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaaz, for the sole purpose of making South Punjab a separate province.

Legislators who quit PML-N include former state minister for foreign affairs Bakhtiar, an MNA from Rahim Yar Khan; MNA Tariq Iqbal from Vehari; MNA Muhammad Qasim from Multan; MNA Basit Bukhari from Muzaffargarh; Sardar Dareshak, Saleem Ullah Chaudhry, Alam Dar Laleka and Syed Asghar Ali Shah.