Administrative unit: Bahawalpur to struggle to restore former status

PM hatching a conspiracy to create new provinces along linguistic divide: Former information minister.

BAHAWALPUR:

Former federal information minister Muhammad Ali Durrani claimed that people are united under the leadership of Ameer of Bahawalpur Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi for the restoration of Bahawalpur province while addressing a public gathering in Cholistan.

“We will not beg the rulers in Islamabad to make an announcement; we will restore our province through our own efforts.” He said the masses will rally behind Abbasi for the restoration of Bahawalpur province after Ramazan.

He alleged that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is hatching a conspiracy to create new provinces along the linguistic divide. “Bahawalpur is a peaceful region but the people are fully aware of the conspiracy against them.”  He demanded that the PM apologise to the people of Bahawalpur for having twice reneged on his commitment to restore its provincial status.

Durrani stated that the Senate standing committee on Safron has also presented its recommendations for the restoration of Bahawalpur province which is a sign of the movement’s success. He said landowners from Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan would like to grab land in Cholistan but they shall not succeed. Durrani said Bahawalpur will be the first province to be created in the country. “Land in Cholistan will be allotted to its residents and canal network will be built for irrigation.”He said.

Bahawalpur’s first budget will be Rs140 billion and 80000 people will get employment, eleven new districts, two new divisions will be carved in the new province.



Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2011.