LAHORE: Punjabi activists, under the banner of the Punjabi Parchar, staged a protest demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club on Saturday against the ‘proposed partition’ of Punjab.

The organisations, including the Pakistan Punjabi Adabi Board, Dil Darya Pakistan, Punjabi Adabi Bethak, Punjabi Khoj Garh, Lokai, Punjabi Adabi Sangat, Saada Punjab and Pakistan Mazdoor Kissan Party (Punjab), also joined the demonstration, said a statement.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjabi Parchar President Ahmed Raza said some political forces were engaged in the plan of the partition of Punjab on administrative lines.

“Punjab is still better as compared to other provinces as far as the administration is concerned. It is a conspiracy to vouch for the partition of Punjab instead of equal distribution of resources,” added Mr Raza.

Poet and scholar Mushtaq Soofi said the efforts were under way to partition the language of Punjab; however, he warned that such a bid would be staved off. He urged the government to increase the resources instead of problems and take steps for progress of the people at the local level.

Punjabi poet Baba Najmi said partitioning Punjab was tantamount to tarnishing the nationalistic identity which ‘would not be permitted.

“If Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan are revered as holy lands by the inhabitants, why not Punjab?” asked Najmi and added that the province was like a motherland whose partition would not be permitted.

Professor Jameel Paul said the issues given as reason for proposal of partition were evident in other provinces as well. He wondered whether administrative problems existed in Punjab only, calling for devolution of resources.

He also rejected the reason of the geographical distance between Lahore and south Punjab as a basis for partition, referring to the distance between Ghotki and Karachi.

Mudasser Iqbal Butt, Punjabi Khoj Garh founder Iqbal Qaiser, Aamir Riaz, Khalil Ojla, Parveen Malik, Zaheer Wattoo, Nain Sukh and others also spoke.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2019