Multan (Web Desk): Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has decided to initiate political dialogue to build consensus for the formation of South Punjab Province.
Addressing a news conference in Multan, the foreign minister said the PTI has already introduced a Constitution Amendment in the National Assembly (NA) for this purpose and we require two thirds majority to pass this amendment.
Qureshi said that he already had a positive sitting with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and consultations will be held with other parties including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to convince them to support the Constitution Amendment.
He said that several members of the PML-N supported South Punjab province but there were others who were stuck on the bill they had presented in the past.
The FM said he would request the PML-N lawmakers to review their decision and let South Punjab be formed.
While highlighting salient features of the Constitution Amendment, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said under this amendment, South Punjab will comprise Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan Divisions.
The seats of South Punjab Assembly will be 120 keeping in view the population of these divisions.
Reacting to Qureshi’s news conference, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday that the foreign minister was fooling people on the name of South Punjab.
He said the PML-N had already tabled a bill in the NA for the creation of the South Punjab and Bahawalpur provinces. He said that this bill was opposed by the PTI.
The PML-N leader added that the bill presented by his party was already with the standing committee, calling on Qureshi to look into this matter immediately.
