26 June 2004	Saturday	07 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, June 25: Is southern Punjab being ignored by authorities responsible for preparing development projects for the province or some elements are giving a wrong impression that the region is being given step-motherly treatment?

The question needs to be looked into seriously before it's too late.

Many leaders of the region have been complaining that southern Punjab is not getting funds according to its requirements because of which it is one of the most backward areas of the country's biggest province. People of the region, they say, are not getting facilities they are entitled to or which are available elsewhere.

PPP's Dr Muhammad Javed Siddiqui (from Multan) broached the subject in his brief speech in the Punjab Assembly on Friday. His remarks were as biting as smiling was his face when he delivered them.

His speech was different from the ones made by his colleagues both in style and content. He started reading out allocations made for various education-related projects in various districts, asking the audience to point out if they ever hear the name of any district of the southern Punjab. He read out a few pages and there was no mention of the districts whose case he was arguing.

Then Dr Siddiqui himself pointed out that there was only one project costing Rs2.5 million which had been proposed for Dera Ghazi Khan.

As he concluded his speech his colleagues thumped desks without making it clear whether they were praising the government for ignoring the area the PPP leader had referred to or they were admiring the satire encapsulated in his speech.

However, MMA's Asghar Gujjar warned that Dr Siddiqui's speech should not be taken as a piece of humour. If the rulers made such a mistake, the consequences could be disastrous, the balding leader from Layyah said.

PML-N leader Mujahid Ali Shah, also from Multan, added his voice to what his colleague from the PPP had said. "When others were thumping desks, I was weeping in my heart. Such attitudes lead to separatist movements".

The grievances of the people of southern Punjab should not be ignored. It will be tragic if such feelings persist when Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi (elected from PP-292 Rahim Yar Khan) and Finance Minister Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dreshak (PP-248 Rajanpur) represent these areas.

Though education minister Imran Masood refuted the impression that southern Punjab districts were being denied funds, concrete steps should be taken to satisfy the people of these areas.

Already, there are people demanding the status of a province for Seraiki speaking belt. The Awami National Party is in favour of giving southern Punjab the status of a separate province. It is provided in the party's manifesto that whenever it is voted to power, it will set up Seraikistan.

At a time when Pakistan's Oppressed Nations Movement (PONAM) is calling for a new constitution and elements like Mumtaz Bhutto are demanding that Pakistan should be made a confederation rather than a federation, those at the helm of affairs should make sure that nobody gets an opportunity to damage the unity of the country.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Farzana Nazir pokes her nose in every matter, no matter how irrelevant. Many in the assembly call her a chatterbox and ridicule her when she tries to confront opposition MPs.

Faisalabad's Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan made full use of an opportunity to embarrass the parliamentary secretary. An ordinary person, facing a mental problem is referred to a doctor, but what should be done when a doctor is facing the problem, he said on a point of order.

A provoked Dr Farzana sought permission from Speaker Afzal Sahi to answer the question. But he refused. She started spewing profanities at the PPP leader although her mike was off. When she realized that her message was not reaching the addressee, she staged a walkout.

MMA's Arshad Baggu invited the speaker's attention to the walkout. "It's good. The house will now go on peacefully for some time", said Mr Sahi. The contemptuous remark showed how fed up the speaker was with the irritating and intrusive conduct of the lady.

However, the speaker asked the MMA leader to go to the lobbies and bring the lady back to the house.

Law Minister Raja Basharat pointed out that PPP leader Rana Aftab against whose conduct the parliamentary leader had staged a walkout had also gone out of the house. Thus, he proposed both of them should be got examined for mental health.

The idea was acclaimed by many in the house.

Education Minister Imran Masood was in a devastating mood on Friday. He wanted to avenge the humiliation PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah Khan had caused him a couple of days ago by accusing him that he was very fond of visiting female colleges of Lahore and had never spared time for educational institution in remote areas of the province.

The minister said the government was committed to promoting literacy rate and would 'beg, borrow or steal' money to give to poor students.

He defended Vision 2020 given by the chief minister, and said the vision given by the second PML-N government -- 2010 -- meant "squint-eyed" in ophthalmology.