PML-N will not allow other parties to divide Punjab

Apparently backtracking from its previous stance, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will not allow the PPP-led coalition government to divide Punjab.

While speaking to the media representatives outside the parliament, the opposition leader said his party was not willing to be part of Parliamentary Commission on New Provinces (PCNP) under the chair of President Asif Ali Zardari’s spokesperson.

Earlier, the commission in its first meeting appointed Senator Farhatullah Babar as its chairman, who is also the spokesperson to presidency.

The commission was constituted over the orders of Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza in the light of resolutions passed by Punjab Assembly to carve out two new provinces, Bahawalpur and South Punjab.

The PML-N, the second largest party in the parliament, refused to nominate its members for the commission, citing it illegal.

The opposition leader criticized government’s coalition partner Awami National Party (ANP), asking why the ANP can’t see sacrifices of Hazara’s before campaigning to divide another province. Farhatullah Babar and Haji Adeel cannot divide Punjab”.

He rejected the commission, saying formation of a national commission was essential for carving out new provinces across the country. The party will definitely participate if a ‘serious invitation’ was offered in that regard.

Meanwhile, the PCNP chairperson Babar said that the PML-N had not responded to commission’s invitation.

Moreover, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said the PPP government wants to divide Sindh under the guise of creating Southern Punjab but his party will not let that happen. He lamented that the PCNP was formed for creation of only one province.

Earlier, he said that the party has begun contacting political parties for a dialogue over the formation of an interim government.

He further said “We have contacted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for consultation over the caretaker set-up. We have spoken to former Balochistan chief minister Akhtar Mengal and [Pashtoon nationalist leader from Balochistan] Mehmood Achakzai; we will make contact with Jamaat-e-Islami in a day or two”.

He continued that he would reveal further details about the interim setup in the coming days.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Aug 30 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.