The PTI, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, vice chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Foreign Minister, has hinted that new provinces can be created and it is for the National Assembly to do so as Foreign Minister, urged the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday, to assist the incumbent government in granting the status of province to South Punjab.

“How is it possible to make Bahawalpur a province, which consists of only three districts,” Qureshi posed a question, saying that PML-N should adopt a more practical approach in this regard. Qureshi stated that for the creation of South Punjab province, two-third majority was required, adding that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) decided to extend cooperation for the province.

The people of South Punjab, comprising of Bahawalpur, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, and Bhakkar, allege that they are living in a backward and underdeveloped area of Pakistan’s largest and most populated province Punjab. The residents of South Punjab speak Saraiki. They have often complained that they were being exploited by the upper and central Punjab’s political elite. Analysts believe that some of the demands of Saraikis are genuine and need government’s immediate action.

Last month the government representatives agreed to form a parliamentary committee on the issue in order to seek political consensus from all stake holders. Foreign Minister Mr. Shah Mehmood Qureshi assured the house to form the committee and look into the matter in order to reach out some logical conclusions.

Moreover, on Jan 16, National Assembly Speaker, Asad Qaiser, said that steps were being taken to implement the plan to give South Punjab the status of a province. “The people of South Punjab would be soon given good tidings.” He had expressed these views while talking to members of the National Assembly, belonging to Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan Divisions who met him in Islamabad.

With the break-up of One Unit or the single unified Province of West Pakistan, the present provinces were carved out on the basis of administrative reasons as it suited the bureaucracy, the supreme decision makers in this country since Pakistan became a separate and independent State.

There is a report that “Punjab government has earmarked a whopping Rs36.75 bln for Lahore’s medical colleges and hospitals in budget for the FY 2017-18, whereas a petty Rs17.75 bln has been reserved for the provision of medical and health facilities for the residents of  Southern Punjab, thus widening the budgetary allocation gap by over 100pc.,”  Nationalist elements had been claiming the whole of Dera Ghazi Khan and Jacobabad District as part of historic Balochistan as overwhelming majority of the people in those areas are Baluchs.

They are still holding the pre-historic tribal traditions as prevailing in adjoining parts of Balochistan. Similarly, the nationalists have been supporting the demand of the Pushto speaking areas of northern Balochistan joining the greater Pakhtoon province with the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Area in the proposed Province. All the Pakhtuns should be in single Federating Unit of Pakistan.

There is another challenge for the incumbent government to deal with. In Pakistan, provinces are named according to cultural composition and social origins of communities living there, on these grounds, Saraikis demand the South Punjab province to be named “Saraikistan” since they constitute more than 90% population of the region. We support the idea and proposal of the President of Pakistan that the chosen representatives of the people should resolve the issue of provinces once for all.

At the same time, the Federal Government should surrender its unlimited powers to the Provinces retaining only those powers necessary for the integrity and solidarity of Pakistan. Keeping Defence and Foreign Affairs only, the Federation should also play the crucial role of coordination among the provinces keeping a skeleton staff to coordinate the affairs of the State in a more cordial manner.