South Punjab Province Explained

South Punjab (Panjabi; Punjabi: {{nq|دکھݨی پنجاب; Urdu: {{Nastaliq|جنوبی پنجاب),[1] [2] also proposed as Bahawalpur-South Punjab,[3] are the names for the proposals to create a new so called province in Pakistan, out of the southern regions of Punjab.[4] The region comprises the Bahawalpur, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions.[5] [6] [7] The proposed province would form about 52 percent of the total area and almost 40 percent of the population of the current Punjab province.[8] [9]

History

In 2012, Punjab Provincial Assembly and the National Assembly passed resolutions for the creation of a new province in Punjab. These resolutions were supported by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PMLN) and were passed.[10]

In the 2013 election, the Peoples Party tried to mobilize voters from Southern Punjab over the creation of a separate province. But they got only one National Assembly seat from the region.[10]

In 2018 the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) promised to create a new province in South Punjab within the first 100 days of taking office, if they win.[11] PTI won the election and won 30 out of 50 seats of the National Assembly seats in South Punjab.[12] On 15 August 2018, PTI MPA of Punjab Assembly, Mohsin Leghari tabled a resolution for the creation of a new province in South Punjab.[10]

On 28 January 2022 the Senate of Pakistan accepted a bill seeking the creation of South Punjab province, and was supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP).[13]

Establishment of Civil Secretariat

In 2020, a separate civil secretariat was established for South Punjab. The secretariat was made up of Dera Ghazi Khan Division, Multan Division, and Bahawalpur Division. It became officially operational on 15 October 2020.[14]

Initially, the following departments were included in the separate Administrative Secretariat of South Punjab region: Services and General Administration, Home, Health, Education, Agriculture, Planning and Development, Livestock and Dairy Development, Local Government and Community Development, Housing, Urban Development and Public Health, Engineering, Irrigation, Forest, Communication and Works, and Revenue,[15] as well as Police.

Geography

The Saraikistan Qaumi Council demanded the creation of a province by merging 24 districts in South Punjab and 2 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts).[16] [17]

The Main Political parties PTI, PPP, and PML(N) have differences in the geography of the proposed province. The PPP supports the formation of the South province by merging 14 districts of Punjab and as well as Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PTI supports the formation of the South Punjab province by merging 11 districts of South Punjab only. The PML(N) does not much support the division of Punjab into two separate provinces.[11]

Administration Division

The administrative divisions of the current secretariat:

Name of DivisionName of DistrictHeadquarter
Multan
  1. Multan
  2. Khanewal
  3. Lodhran
  4. Vehari
Multan
Bahawalpur
  1. Bahawalpur
  2. Bahawalnagar
  3. Rahim Yar Khan
Bahawalpur
Dera Ghazi Khan
  1. Dera Ghazi Khan
  2. Muzaffargarh
  3. Layyah
  4. Rajanpur
  5. Jampur
  6. Kot Addu
  7. Taunsa Sharif
Dera Ghazi Khan

Demographics

Language

The major language spoken in Southern Punjab is Saraiki. Punjabi and Haryanvi are also spoken.[18] Urdu is the official lingua franca.[19]

Religion

Islam is the dominant religion in Southern Punjab, with a Sunni majority and a Shia minority.[20]

See also

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: . Office of the Chief Minister of Punjab, Islamic Republic of Pakistan. 16 September 2022. 2 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220202034606/https://cm.punjab.gov.pk/node/5756. dead.
  2. Web site: Hopefully, govt will end injustice towards South Punjab: PM Imran . Aaj news. February 2022 .
  3. Web site: South Punjab province or Saraikistan; what do Saraikis demand? . News Desk . 2 July 2020.
  4. Web site: 2 December 2022 . Body formed for creation of South Punjab province . 11 April 2023 . The Express Tribune . en.
  5. Web site: Newspaper . the . 15 June 2023 . Southern Punjab and the issue of equality . 19 June 2023 . DAWN.COM . en . The concerns are genuine because of the fact that the proposed province of South Punjab will comprise the divisions of Bahawalpur, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan as well as some adjoining areas of the current Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province..
  6. Web site: 21 February 2013 . New boundaries: Protesters demand Tank, DI Khan be included in Saraiki province . 19 June 2023 . The Express Tribune . en.
  7. Web site: 14 August 2011 . Seraiki province debate . 19 June 2023 . DAWN.COM . en . Second, the majority of people of D.I. Khan and Tank districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are Seraiki-speaking. They are asking to be part of a Seraiki province and have formed the Seraiki Suba Mahaz to launch a campaign for the inclusion of their districts in the new province..
  8. News: South India: larger in size, less in population. 13 April 2020.
  9. Web site: Pakistan Population (2023) - Worldometer . 12 February 2023 . www.worldometers.info . en.
  10. News: What lies behind demands for a separate province in south Punjab. 16 April 2020.
  11. News: A province for Seraikis. 16 April 2020.
  12. News: A province in the making. 16 April 2020.
  13. Web site: BILAWAL, SHEHBAZ'S SUPPORT SOUGHT FOR CREATION OF SOUTH PUNJAB PROVINCE . ARYNEWS.tv.. 20 January 2022 .
  14. Web site: South Punjab secretariat becomes operational on Oct 15. The Newspaper's Staff. Reporter. 5 September 2020. DAWN.COM.
  15. Web site: 15 full-fledged depts created for south Punjab secretariat. Mansoor. Malik. 1 September 2020. DAWN.COM.
  16. Web site: Shah . Nadeem . A province for Seraikis? Dialogue thenews.com.pk . 19 June 2023 . www.thenews.com.pk . en . Zahoor Dhareja the chairperson of the Seraikistan Qaumi Council, says, "We demand a province consisting of 24 districts: Multan, Lodhran, Khanewal, Vehari, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Pakpattan, Okara, Sargodha, Khushab, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot and Faisalabad. We also demand inclusion of two districts from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Dera Ismail Khan and Tank where 70 percent of the population speaks the Seraiki language.".
  17. Web site: Wasim . Amir . 25 October 2022 . Demand for south Punjab province echoes in National Assembly . 5 February 2023 . DAWN.COM . en.
  18. Web site: Saraiki, a Language of Pakistan . Ethnologue . 25 September 2015 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924061905/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/SKR . 24 September 2015 .
  19. Robina Kausar . Muhammad Sarwar . Muhammad Shabbir . The History of the Urdu Language Together with Its Origin and Geographic Distribution . International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences . 2 . 1 .
  20. Web site: Information on Sunni-Shia conflict . Pakistan - Researched and compiled by the Refugee Documentation Centre.

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