BAHAWALPUR, Aug 2: Circles close to Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi, chief of the Bahawalpur National Awami Party (BNAP), have denied reports of any bargain over the demand of Bahawalpur province restoration.

Referring to a meeting of BNAP chief Abbasi with President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad on Tuesday last, party president and former minister Farooq Azam Malik and information secretary Javed Khan Daulatzai told Dawn on Thursday there was no truth in some reports that President Zardari had offered the slot of governor of the proposed south Punjab province and other privileges and perks to Nawab Salahuddin.

Malik categorically rejected reports that Nawab Abbasi had accepted the ‘governorship offers’ or gave his nod to Bahawalpur as the capital of the proposed south Punjab or Seraiki province.

Malik said the BNAP had only one-point agenda of the revival of Bahawalpur province.

Defending the meeting of Nawab Abbasi with President Zardari, he said it was BNAP right to call on national political leaders to seek their support to get its legal and just right which was usurped by military dictator Gen Yahyah Khan in 1970.

He said prior to the meeting with Zardari, the BNAP chief met PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, PTI chief Imran Khan and JUI chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman and explained to them party’s point of view and requested them to support the demand.

According to the BNAP president, during the meeting with Zardari, the focus was on the restoration of Bahawalpur province and the composition of the commission set up by the NA speaker in accordance with the presidential reference.

He also indicated the extension of an invitation from Nawab Abbasi to President Zardari for visiting Sadiqgarh Palace during his upcoming visit to Bahawalpur. He said Nawab Salahuddin was due here soon and would like to meet the media to explain the outcome of his meeting with Zardari.

Dawn learnt that the Abbasi-Zardari meeting had been arranged by Federal Minister for Textiles and PPP President for south Punjab Makhdoom Shahabuddin, who had met the Nawab a few days back at Sadiqgarh Palace, Dera Nawab Sahib. —Correspondent