N League solely responsible for bitterness and depravation prevailing in South Punjab: Moonis Elahi

Lahore (April 21, 2010) Punjab government’s step-motherly treatment and diversion of South Punjab’s already meager funds and resources for the development of Jati Umra have created a bitter resentment and an acute sense of depravation in the people of South Punjab. To address these negative developments and to alleviate the miseries of the people, creation of a South Punjab province is the dire need of the hour. These views were expressed today in Lahore by Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League during a meeting with his party office bearers and workers hailing from Multan Division. During our five year rule we left no stone unturned to bring South Punjab at par in development and prosperity with the rest of the province, said Moonis Elahi.

He reminded the party members from Multan that Chaudhry Parvez Elahi had declared South Punjab as his second home and throughout his government he personally undertook countless measures to pull the people of South Punjab out of abysmal poverty and backwardness.

Moonis Elahi strongly condemned the deliberate step motherly treatment meted out to South Punjab since 2008 by N League government. He said that during the rule of PML government maximum resources were allocated for the progress and uplift of South Punjab and from 2002 to 2007 over 117 billion rupees were expended in the previously neglected region. On the contrary, this year’s measly allocation of rupees five billion for South Punjab by N League is nothing more than a joke and a stark reminder of N League’s deliberate indifference to the miseries of teeming millions living in the neglected region, remarked Moonis Elahi.

He further added that for South Punjab’s population of over 40 million only 5 billion rupees were considered sufficient in this year’s budget but on the other hand for a road leading to Jati Umra, the residence of the current Punjab rulers, an atrocious amount of rupees 21 billion was very conveniently dished out. While our government up to 2007 launched and completed several mega public service projects in South Punjab including hospitals, schools, colleges, roads, bridges, industrial estates, water supply and sanitation schemes etc, it is saddening to note that in the last two years not even a single new water tap has been installed by the current rulers here, stated Moonis Elahi.

Commenting on his party’s policy on creation of new provinces, Moonis Elahi declared that Pakistan Muslim League had always stood by the will of the people and creating a South Punjab province was an apt remedy to plug administrative gaps that had become even more manifest due to the incompetence of the current rulers.