New provinces: PPP is trying to make issue controversial, says Ahsan Iqbal
PML-N leader claims that government formed one-sided commission against the Punjab Assembly resolution.
Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal claimed that the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is trying to create disputes in the creation of new provinces and is using it as an electioneering slogan.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Iqbal said, “The resolution passed in the Punjab Assembly regarding Bahawalpur and South Punjab provinces should have been worked on in letter and spirit. But the federal government one-sidedly made a national commission which was against the spirit of the resolution.”
The PML-N leader added that the government did not hold any talks with the Punjab government and there was no consensus about the national commission.
“The PPP is not interested in making a South Punjab province but only wants to use it as an electioneering slogan. If it were serious, then it could have resolved all issues during the 18th amendment committee meeting when all other issues were being talked about,” the leader asserted, while adding that the PPP and the coalition partners had kept the issue of new provinces aside during the 18th amendment talks arguing that the security situation of the country was not stable enough.
The leader further said that whenever a new province is being made, a lot of other issues also emerge, including the distribution of resources. “The new provinces are based on an agricultural economy and water will be vital for them. But in these four years, no step was taken by the government. Not a single conference was held to talk about this issue.”
He added that even the recently passed budget had no money allocated to the new provinces for initial support.
“Now that the time of the elections is here, the government has formed a controversial commission so that when reservations are raised against it, an impression will be given that the PPP wants to have the provinces made but the opposition doesn’t,” Iqbal claimed.
Protest in National Assembly
Iqbal announced that the PML-N will protest against the recent raise in petroleum prices during the National Assembly session and termed the Rs8 hike as “brutal”.
He alleged that the prices were raised so that the government could pay for its “lavish expenses and corruption” with the people’s money.
“We will demand that the price raise be taken back,” Iqbal said.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Iqbal said, “The resolution passed in the Punjab Assembly regarding Bahawalpur and South Punjab provinces should have been worked on in letter and spirit. But the federal government one-sidedly made a national commission which was against the spirit of the resolution.”
The PML-N leader added that the government did not hold any talks with the Punjab government and there was no consensus about the national commission.
“The PPP is not interested in making a South Punjab province but only wants to use it as an electioneering slogan. If it were serious, then it could have resolved all issues during the 18th amendment committee meeting when all other issues were being talked about,” the leader asserted, while adding that the PPP and the coalition partners had kept the issue of new provinces aside during the 18th amendment talks arguing that the security situation of the country was not stable enough.
The leader further said that whenever a new province is being made, a lot of other issues also emerge, including the distribution of resources. “The new provinces are based on an agricultural economy and water will be vital for them. But in these four years, no step was taken by the government. Not a single conference was held to talk about this issue.”
He added that even the recently passed budget had no money allocated to the new provinces for initial support.
“Now that the time of the elections is here, the government has formed a controversial commission so that when reservations are raised against it, an impression will be given that the PPP wants to have the provinces made but the opposition doesn’t,” Iqbal claimed.
Protest in National Assembly
Iqbal announced that the PML-N will protest against the recent raise in petroleum prices during the National Assembly session and termed the Rs8 hike as “brutal”.
He alleged that the prices were raised so that the government could pay for its “lavish expenses and corruption” with the people’s money.
“We will demand that the price raise be taken back,” Iqbal said.