Seraiki parties back Balochis
- ‘Southern Punjab must get autonomy, professional and cadet colleges and a TV centre’
Staff Report
MULTAN: The Seraiki Qaumi Rabita Council has said it will support unconditionally to the Balochis & demanded that the Seraiki and Punjabi languages be introduced as medium of education and official correspondence and a regional centre of the Punjab Institute of Culture, Art and Languages be set up in Multan.
He said the Seraiki areas lacked a television station to promote the Seraiki culture and music. The council decided to organise a conference on February 21 in Multan to mark the International Mothers Language Day.
The council also criticised Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, the Punjab chief minister, for ignoring the Seraiki belt and demanded development schemes for rural areas. Taj Gopang, the council convener, stressed the need on the promotion of the Seraiki language and the establishment of professional colleges – an agriculture college, health and engineering universities and a cadet college - to combat the future challenges.
He demanded national autonomy to the Seraiki area according to the 1940 Resolution, adding that the Seraiki province should be included in the proposed amendments in the Constitution. The session also demanded a share for the Seraiki people in federal and provincial departments according to population size and the flow of projects towards the Seraiki belt. The council also criticised the alleged fanning of ethnic issues and clashes between the Seraikis and non-Seraikis over the issue of water in Rahimyar Khan.
Zahoor Dhareja, Ehsan Wahga, Mushtaq Gadi, Mehmood Nizami, Syed Hassan Raza, Shamim Arif Qureshi, Irshad Amin, Khawaja Ghulam Farid Koreja, Hakim Haider Iqbal, Malik Altaf Ali Khokhar, Ahmed Nawaz Somroo, Asadullah Khan Langah, Nakhba Langah, Masihullah Jampuri, Rai Kher Muhammad Pirhar and Malik Shafqat Maitla attended the session.Salimur Rehman Mayo, the chief organiser of the Asif Ali Zardari Committee - an offshoot of the Pakistan People’s Party - and Mirza Nazir Baig, the party provincial chief, claimed at a press conference on Monday. Mr Rehman said law enforcers just sat by and watched when terrorists kidnapped Khawaja Masood Ahmed, a businessman in Multan. They also demanded that the government drop cases against the party leaders, Jehangir Badar, Asif Ali Zardari, Malik Salahuddin Dogar, Naheed Khan, Malik Mushtaq Ahmed Awan, and Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and allow Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to return.
… Khar agrees with them
MULTAN: “All the Balochs’ demands about provincial autonomy and royalty of gas and oil are just and these must be accepted immediately,” according to Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar, a former Punjab governor. Mr Khar told reporters at a wedding on Monday that to save the country’s integrity and security, a purposeful dialogue should be held with the people of Balochistan. He said he had met Nawab Akbar Bugti, the Jamhoori Wattan Party chief, and exchanged views with him on the current situation. “I think his demands about provincial autonomy, rights of Baloch, withdrawal of plans of construction of cantonments, royalty of gas and oil, provision of jobs to unemployed people of the province are just,” Mr Khar said. He said there would be no unrest in Balochistan, had the culprits involved in the Dr Shazia rape been arrested and punished. He urged the government to avoid the use of force in the province. Mr Khar said a group within the Pakistan People’s Party was afraid of him and whenever Benazir Bhutto, the party chairperson, called him to assign him some responsibilities, the group became active and launched his character assassination drive. He said he would play an important role in the upcoming elections. staff report