Pakistan

PML-N ‘favours more administrative units’

Federal minister Sardar Yousuf says political parties are in favour of Hazara province

Sehrish Wasif April 12, 2018

Sardar Muhammad Yousuf. PHOTO: PID

ISLAMABAD: In the wake of certain quarters in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz wanting a separate province in southern Punjab, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, imparted the ruling party’s endorsement for establishment of additional provinces in the country on ‘administrative basis’ rather than ethnic grounds.

The federal minister was addressing a national conference on ‘Martyrs of Hazara province’ held in Islamabad on Thursday when he said, ‘owing to various reasons, PML-N could not speed up the efforts pertaining to formation of the Hazara province, however, now the ruling party will make earnest efforts to take Hazara province movement towards a logical conclusion and will not withdraw from its stance in this regard.’

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Yousuf said that the idea of additional provinces is very much part of party’s manifesto, however constitutional amendment with a two-thirds majority is required for the formation of the province.

He claimed that all the political parties are in favor of the formation of the Hazara province and are on the same page regarding this issue.

The statement from senior PML-N leader in favor of new administrative units came just days after a group of ruling party lawmakers quit the party and launched a movement for creating South Punjab as separate province.

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The 10-member dissident group from South Punjab was led by estranged PML-N MNA Khusro Bakhtiar.

The PML-N, however, questioned their real motive, insisting that had they been sincere with this demand they would have raised it in parliament during last five-years.

The conference which aimed at speeding up the efforts for the formation of Hazara province was attended by Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Member National Assembly (MNA) Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh, Pakistan Tekreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Dr Azhar Jadoon, Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Zia-ud-Din and religious scholars belonging to Hazara movement among others.