PTI opposed PML-N’s south Punjab bill: Ahsan Iqbal

Former interior minister accuses PTI leadership of claiming credit for its projects

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal has said that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi should come clean regarding the south Punjab province issue and tell people that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders opposed the bill submitted by the PML-N in parliament for the creation of new provinces.

Iqbal said that PML-N was the only political party that truly supports south Punjab province and took practical steps for it by introducing the bill in the assembly. “Meanwhile, the PTI used the issue to gain political mileage and then dumped it after assuming power,” said Iqbal.

In a stark rejoinder, he said the PTI had promised the people of southern Punjab of the creation of their province within the first 100 days of PTI rule. “But they made a mockery of their promise and people’s dreams.”

Iqbal said that the PTI’s opposition to southern Punjab province bill submitted by the PML-N was on the record of the parliament. “Qureshi should set his memory and the record straight,” he added.

The PML-N secretary general told PTI to stop sabotaging the bill for the creation of new provinces through delaying tactics in the parliamentary committee. He demanded that the mandated progress on the bill be made with immediate effect.

Ahsan said that PTI lacked originality of vision and mission and only knew ‘how to claim credit for PML-N's initiatives while being terrible about it’.

He pointed out that after trying to hijack PML-N's south Punjab bill through a duplicate bill, Shah Mehmood Qureshi was now trying to sneak in his name on PML-N's proposal regarding the creation of Bahawalpur province.