BAHAWALPUR - Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) President Chaudhry Atif Aziz categorically declared on Thursday that the business community and people of Bahawalpur Division had rejected the recommendations of the Parliamentary Commission on new provinces.
The recommendations for the creation of “Bahawalpur Janoobi Punjab” (BJP) province instead of the restoration of Bahawalpur as a province are against the Constitution and a joke with the people both the Bahawalpur and South Punjab,” he alleged and added that the parliamentary commission had overstepped its mandate.
Addressing a press conference, the BCCI chief pledged not to abandon the long-standing constitutional, historical and legal demand for the Bahawalpur province. “We cannot allow anyone to impose another LFO like that of Yahya Khan and make Bahawalpur part of Janoobi Punjab. We rejected the BJP province aims at snatch the identity and resources of Bahawalpur,” he added.
Ch Atif Aziz pointed out that those who claimed the masses to be the source of power had sold the rights of people to feudal and landlords and betrayed them. “We will not let anyone to repeat the history of the 70s nor will allow use the restoration issue for bargaining slots or tickets,” he warned.
The BCCI chief was of the view that there was a complete provincial system before Bahawalpur’s merger into one unit, adding that after dissolution of one unit in 1970, Bahawalpur’s provincial status was not restored despite promise. He announced completed support for the restoration of Bahawalpur province and demanded that Bahawalpur province should be restored into the position as it was before the 1955s one unit.
Meanwhile, 17 political and religious parties have demanded the restoration of Bahawalpur province at an All Parties Conference. The participants including local chapters of all main ruling and opposition parties also rejected the recommendations of the commission.
Speakers of the APC said that movement for the restoration of Bahawalpur had been going on since 1970 and people of the region were united for the cause. They accused Makhdoom Ahmad Mehmood of selling off the Bahawalpur province cause for Governorship, adding that he (Governor) would his fate as his political future was dark.
They said that Bahawalpur province should be restored according to its old geographical position. We want the restoration of Bahawalpur so that future of the youngsters of Bahawalpur can be protected and now no one can make a deal of Bahawalpur province restoration movement, all the decision will be made with mutual consent. They said that Bahawalpur province would be restored as no power on the earth can stop it now.
Later, a joint declaration was issued, demanding the government to restore the Bahawalpur province into its original geographical position according to the resolution passed by the Punjab Assembly.