LAHORE, Aug 9: As the political field is already reverberating with the Seraiki province resolution, the Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z) has added a new aspect to it by submitting its resolution to the Punjab Assembly for the restoration of Bahawalpur province.

The resolution was submitted by the lone MPA of the party, Chaudhry Shahid Anjum, on Tuesday.

The assembly is scheduled to meet on Thursday (tomorrow) on the requisition of the opposition, to discuss the law and order situation in the province and deprivations of south Punjab (Seraiki belt) people.

Earlier, the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) submitted a resolution for creating a Seraiki Sooba but it was knocked out in the speaker's chamber on technical grounds.

The resolution of Chaudhry Shahid, elected to the provincial house in March 2010 by-polls held after People's Party's Rauf Khalid was disqualified, is also destined to meet the same fate as the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N playing consciously on the issue.

The resolution says the party is not against the Seraiki province but restoration of the Bahawalpur province is the primary right of the locals. It says that Bahawalpur has already enjoyed the status of a province before the formation of one unit.

Admitting that he neither consulted his party nor other stakeholders in the movement for the restoration of Bahawalpur province, the mover told Dawn there was no need to do so as restoration of the provincial status for the former princely state was a longstanding demand of the people.

“As the movement is already going on and we (public representatives) have been consulting each other about various modes available (for taking the movement forward), there was no need to talk to them afresh about the resolution.”

About consulting his party leadership, he said (PML-F) leader and MPA Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood had held a big public meeting in Rahim Yar Khan on the issue a couple of months ago and PML-Z chief Ijazul Haq had also joined it to announce full support of the party for the cause.

He said the Makhdoom and MPAs belonging to other political parties would rise above their party affiliations to support the resolution.