ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi slammed Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday for “obstructing” his proposal for the creation of South Punjab province, claiming Bilawal was only acting on the orders of his “teachers” blindly.
Qureshi, who has been trying to achieve a two-thirds majority for the constitutional modification required for the move, expressed his displeasure with the PPP chairperson’s “immature” and “childish” attitude.
The strong tone comes after the FM, for the second time, wrote letters to President Shahbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP Chairperson Bilawal, encouraging them to cooperate on legislation for the creation of the new South Punjab province.
Qureshi’s letters, written in his capacity as vice-chairperson of the ruling PTI, were a follow-up to a letter issued on January 19 that brought attention to the long-standing and vital issue of the development of a distinct province of South Punjab.
“Bilawal’s teachers are incompetent,” he said in a statement on Friday, “handing him prepared slips to speak rehearsed lines blindly.” When the opposition leaders did not “bother to answer” to the first letter, the minister felt compelled to write another to them.
A report produced by the United Nations Development Program, according to the foreign minister, has also validated his opinion that southern Punjab remains the country’s most backward province. He also stated he sent UNDP data to Shehbaz, and that he wants him to “seriously evaluate” the matter.
“We need to move forward while keeping the reality of South Punjab in mind,” he added. Qureshi said that Bilawal would realise over time that mere criticism would not be enough to make South Punjab a province; instead, a constitutional amendment would be required to make it a reality.
