PML-N backs creations of new provinces

Marriyum Aurangzeb says Abbasi’s statement being misrepresented

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz wholeheartedly supports the creation of new provinces, PML-N spokesperson says.

“The media is representing [former prime minister] Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s statement as opposing the creation of new provinces,” said Marriyum Aurangzeb in a statement issued from the party’s central secretariat here on Monday.

Marriyum said if the party did not support the creation of new provinces, why would it introduce a bill for the purpose?

Clarifying the misinterpretation of the statement, Marriyum said Abbasi was pointing out that a bill for the creation of new provinces was already in the National Assembly's standing committee, which was why it was against the rules to accept another bill on the same issue.

She said Abbasi had questioned as to why had there been no progress on the bill presented by the PML-N for the creation of new provinces months ago.

The former information minister said the PTI regime had trashed the idea of creation of new provinces after running a campaign for the purpose, which failed to garner the required support.

After the PML-N took the lead over this issue by introducing a bill, the PTI regime wanted to ride along and hijack the PML-N's initiative through a new bill.

“This government does not respect the rules of parliamentary procedure and therefore wants to trample upon them to save themselves from the embarrassment of public criticism,” she added.

Marriyum pointed out that the PTI had not responded to the PML-N's proposed bill for months because they were not sincere to the cause of the people of south Punjab, Bahawalpur and Hazara.

"They have now all of a sudden woken up to the situation only because they are once again using this issue politically. This entire fiasco is being used by the PTI regime to divert the attention away from its disastrous IMF deal," she said.

Marriyum claimed that the PML-N was the only political party that had taken practical legislative steps for the creation of new provinces. “For this purpose, the party approved a resolution in the Punjab Assembly and then the historic bill in the National Assembly. The PTI on the other hand is working to delay and sabotage the creation of these provinces,” she said. “If PTI is so compassionate about the people's demand for new provinces, it should also accept the status of Bahawalpur as a new province.”