LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab president Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo on Saturday said that the bill for the creation of south Punjab province will be presented in the Senate before March 16 and will also be approved by the National Assembly.

“Those who oppose the creation of south Punjab province will face massive defeat in elections,” he said while addressing a press conference at the PPP Punjab Secretariat.

He said the PPP alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) was moving positively forward. He claimed the two ruling coalition parties were prepared to field strong candidates for the upcoming general elections.

“The PPP and the PML-Q will field suitable candidates to win seats. Good panels will be formed for MNA and MPA elections,” he added.

Wattoo said central Punjab would be a battlefield, and claimed that the PPP had always won in a triangular fight.

Wattoo accused the Pakistan Muslim League –Nawaz (PML-N) of using different tactics to weaken the democratic system. Speaking about former PPP members who had crossed over to the PML-N, he said defectors could not avert disqualification.

He also accused the Punjab government of being involved in pre-poll rigging and lodging fake cases against rivals by using the government machinery. He said that accountability of such people was not far.

Speaking about the recent developments in the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, he said the government was taking all steps in the larger interest of the country. “If we can benefit from Iranian gas, we should utilize it,” he added.