…AFTER the National Assembly adopted a resolution about the creation of a new province in south Punjab it was being considered that the Punjab Assembly … would not pass such a resolution and the federal government would have to [amend] … the constitution for the creation of a new province. It was a surprise … that all political parties moved such a resolution jointly in the provincial assembly, which was adopted unanimously….

After passage of [the] resolution … the situation … has … changed altogether, as the PML-N, which was [earlier] deadly opposed to the division of Punjab … moved the resolution. Earlier the PPP was trying to get credit for creating a Seraiki province and now the PML-N has … shared the … credit.

[There] are a few questions which need answers. Firstly … does PML-N really … want … a South Punjab province or is this only a political [manoeuvre]? In Punjab there [are] … other stakeholders … will they agree upon division?... Punjab enjoyed strength due to its numbers … which were higher than the combined seats of all three provinces. If Punjab is divided … its strength would also be divided….

Creation of Seraiki province has been an old demand of the … people of that area. But the way the issue is being politicised, it appears the … Seraiki [province] will be the main focus during the next election…. If Seraiki province is created before the elections, the PPP will … take credit for it. If it is not created before the election, the PPP would [make it an election] issue … and would claim … the PML-N created hurdles….

Likewise, the PML-N … would say that if they were against creation of the province, they would have not passed the resolution. — (May 11)

Selected and translated by Sohail Sangi