June 30, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 25, 1429

MULTAN, June 29: Seraiki activists staged a demonstration here on Sunday for insertion of their demand to carve out a Seraiki province in the proposed constitutional package and asked for immediate establishment of a separate economic and administrative region leading to the formation of Seraiki province.

Claiming that the Seraiki people have distinct linguistic and cultural status, they urged the government to take concrete steps to ensure their representation in important federal institutions, especially the Senate of Pakistan, the National Finance Commission (NFC) and the Indus River System Authority (IRSA).

Demonstrators, including women, indigenous riverine groups, farmers, students and writers, took out a rally organised by Seraiki Lok Party (SLP), Sindhoo Bachao Taralla (Save Indus Struggles), Seraiki Taraimet Sanjh (Seraiki Women’s Association) and Halli Sanjh (Farmers Association) from Qila Kuhna, Qasim Bagh, to Kutchehry Chowk.

Addressing the demonstrators, speakers claimed that the main cause of the prevalent poverty and deprivation of Seraiki region was mainly due to the exploitation and extraction of Seraiki resources.

SLP President Hassan Raza Shah said that poverty and deprivation of the Seraiki region could not be eliminated until and unless it was not granted constitutional recognition.

He demanded the establishment of National Language Commission and inclusion of Seraiki language in the forthcoming census.

Zafar Lund of the SLP demanded immediate ban on land allotments and protection of forest resources.

He said that his party endorsed the decision to abandon Kalabagh Dam and that no more dams should be built on the Indus River.

Ismail Mor of Sindhoo Bachao Taralla said that the government should recognise the historical rights of the indigenous fisher folk groups.

Seraiki Taraimet Sanjh President Amana Bibi highlighted the plight of rural and fisher folk women and demanded that the government should initiate land distribution scheme for landless women.