Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday said announcements of a parliamentary bill for the establishment of a South Punjab province along with a financial package for the region are a fulfilment of the government’s promise.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, the foreign minister stated that the creation of the province of South Punjab was integral to the PTI manifesto. The minister thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan for fulfilling the “long-standing desire of the people of South Punjab and for making the historic declaration a reality”.
Qureshi expressed hope that opposition parties will play a positive role in the passage of the parliamentary bill, keeping aside political differences, “for the welfare of the people of South Punjab”.
In addition to drafting the bill for the creation of South Punjab, the foreign minister announced that a package of Rs500 billion, would be allocated to the region to fulfil the promises the ruling party made to the masses.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi wrote letters to the President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urging them to cooperate on legislation regarding the establishment of the new South Punjab province.
Both letters were received in the respective chambers of the two leaders in the Parliament.
Qureshi’s letters, writien as the vice-chairperson of the ruling PTI, was in continuation of the letter sent on January 19, which drew attention towards the longstanding and important matter pertaining to the creation of a separate province of South Punjab.
