MUZAFFARGARH, April 14: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday his government would take an initiative to provide 100,000 jobs to the youth in the 2012-13 budget.

Addressing a ‘charged’ public gathering at Alipur, he spoke proudly of his association with the Pakistan People’s Party. He said: “When I was in jail in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, I got many offers to change political party but I refused to do so.”

Gilani praised PPP MNA Qayyum Jatoi who also rejected offers and suffered ‘state victimisation’ for not joining the Patriot faction in 2002-2007.

Mr Gilani inaugurated gas supply projects to Alipur and Jatoi. The schemes cost Rs138 million. Though people of the area were happy with the facility, Gilani said, such small measures would not change the state of the area unless the establishment of a Seraiki Sooba (province). “I want a new assembly and separate courts for this area.”

He said the government would announce measures to control loadshedding in the upcoming budget. The prime minister said when he had come to Muzaffargarh for campaign of Jamshed Dasti during the 2010 by-election, many `astrologers’ said the government would be over in a few days. “Now my government will present the fifth budget in May.”

He said he would examine the demand to declare Alipur and Jatoi a tax-free zone so that the industrialists made investments here.

He also announced a technical college, two buses for colleges, an IT institute for Alipur and Jatoi. He announced Rs200 million for repairing super spur and also steel bridges from Jalalpur to Shehr Sultan and Rs50 million for electricity to new areas. He ordered reconstruction of all schools, hospitals and roads which had been damaged during the 2010 floods.

Earlier, Qayyum Jatoi said: “I welcome the prime minister and offer him to contest election from my seat NA-180.”

Later, the prime minister opened bypass at Khangarh. MNA Jamshed Dasti and Amir Karamat Chaudhry demanded separate province.

At Khangarh, local PML-N leader Qurban Husain joined the PPP.

Meanwhile, talking to MPs from Dera Ghazi Khan division at DG Khan Airport, Gilani said: “The establishment of Seraiki province is a key to the solution to existing problems being faced by the people here.”

He said construction work on Dera Ghazi Khan-Multan dual carriageway would start soon while work on elevated road between Sakhi Sarwar and Bewata would commence with the financial and technical assistance of Japan.

The PM directed the NHA chairman to prepare a feasibility report to link two cities Layyah and Taunsa through a bridge. He directed the irrigation authorities to evolve some strategy to control water of hill torrents.