PM reiterates support for Hazarra and Saraiki Province

ISLAMABAD, Jan.3 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday reiterated his commitment for creation of new provinces, including Saraeki province and asked Chief Whip in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah to discuss it with allied parties and move a resolution in the House.“I am in full support of our province (Saraeki). If new provinces,including Saraeki province are not created during my Premiership, then when it will happen,” the prime minister said in National Assembly in response to a point of order by Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi of PML-N.The Prime Minister said it was the motto of PPP to remove the sense of deprivation among the people of backward areas, adding, “Had the sense of deprivation of smaller provinces removed in the past, then Pakistan would have not dismembered.”

He said a proper mechanism should be adopted for moving a resolution for the purpose, adding that nobody could block the resolution as it was in accordance with the aspirations of people.

Pakistan Peoples Party, he said is a national party, “which exists in all the four provinces and Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and FATA.”

The Prime Minister rejected the remarks of Mehtab Abbasi that he (PM) was struggling for creation of Saraeki province to pave way for his son as Chief Minister of that province.

Gilani said “we are among the creators of this country. Our forefathers contributed in its creation and this is a historical fact.”

The Prime Minister said that demand of Saraeki province was not new and added, Multan was capital of Sindh province some 5000 years back, hence it is legitimate demand of the people of that region.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said if the Parliament ensured rights to Pukhtoons and the people of Gilgit and Baltistan and FATA, “then how it is possible that it will not give us our identity.”

“We have implemented all the resolutions regarding Balochistan province except the law and order situation which is a provincial subject,” he added.

Gilani said a delegation from Hazara met him and discussed the issue of new province and I talked to ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and asked him how the issue could be resolved. In response, he (Asfandyar) said if the PPP has consensus on the issue then it could be discussed in the House.

The Prime Minister said then he referred the matter to PPP’s Parliamentary Party and PPP fully advocated the federalism.

He dismissed the allegation that our party was weakening Pakistan, adding,Pakistan is guarded by the Constitution which was given to country by the PPP and provides a guarantee for security of Pakistan.

Regarding PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif’s statement for setting up military courts in Karachi, the prime minister said how was it possible in a democratic set up and termed it a double standard of PML-N.

“In democracy, there is no room for such courts. Military should always be kept in the background,” he said and added Rangers were deployed in Karachi on request of the provincial government to improve law and order.

The Prime Minister asked if such kind of courts are set up, then what will be the difference between democracy and dictatorship.