AHMEDPUR EAST - Punjab Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood on Thursday said that under the guidance of Bahawalpur National Awami Party Chief Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi provincial status of Bahawalpur will be get restored soon and the parliament will carry out necessary legislation in this regard for which parleys were underway.
Punjab Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood was talking to journalists at Sadiq Garh Palace in Dera Nawab Sahib after holding a meeting with Nawab Salahuudin Abbasi which lasted for 45 minutes. Prince Bahawal Abbas Khan Abbasi was also present on the occasion. Makhdoom Ahmed pointed out that first he was the Chairman Core Committee on restoration Bahawalpur provincial status and then he was the Punjab Governor.
He categorically stated that he had great respected for Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi and his family and termed himself as his devoted follower. To a question about the induction of former Punjab governor Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar as the PML-F Punjab president, Makhdoom Ahmed said that as soon as the elections schedule would be announced his sons and the party would decide about the future line of action of the party. He disclosed that he would meet President Asif Zardari at a luncheon in Karachi on Friday (today) where he would discuss the prevailing political scenario along with the new provinces issue with him.
To another query about his invitation to all Punjab Assembly members hailing from the PML-N, PPP, PML-Q, the PML-F and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal on January 7 to Governor's House in Lahore, he said that there was no political agenda for the meeting as all MPAs had been his colleagues being a member of the Punjab Assembly during over the past five years and he just wanted keep close liaison with them.
When asked about Tahirul Qadri announced long march on January 14, the Punjab governor declared that Tahirul Qadri was a not Jihadi so he would definitely not put his thousands of followers into test. He was optimistic that Tahirul Qadri would not harm democracy as he was now a political force. The Punjab governor also avoided comment on MQM Chief Altaf Hussain's statement whereby he sought Army's half for revolution. He said that the upcoming elections would be the mother of all previous elections and sincere political forces would not allow anybody to derail democracy.
Earlier, Prince Bahawal Abbas Khan Abbasi, Bahawalpur National Awami Party President Farooq Azam Malik, Secretary General Mian Ilyas Ayaz, Additional Secretary General Mian Raufur Rehman, Secretary Information Javed Khan Dauletzai and PPP South Punjab Vice President Hassan Askari Sheikh received the Punjab Governor upon his arrival at Sadiq Garh Palace. Makhdoom Ahmed kissed Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi's Prince Bahawal Abbas Abbasi and touched the knees of Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi as per royal traditions. He was accompanied by Syed Irfan Gardezi and Syed Bilal Gardezi, Jam Mukhtar, Hussein Ahmed Madni and other personalities.
Later on the Punjab governor drove to the residence of London-based Pakistani businessman Sajjad Khan Baloch in Basti Patwarian who hosted a lunch in his honour. As many as one thousands of people including Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi, Prince Bahawal Abbas Khan Abbasi and BNAP leaders attended the ceremony. On the occasion, Punjab Assembly candidate Ejaz Khan Baloch and former Bar Association Ahmedpur East president Khalid Khan Baloch highlighted problems of the area.
SAJJAD KHAN GROUP JOINS BNAP: London-based businessman Sajjad Khan Baloch and younger brother and former city nazim Mohammad Ejaz Khan Baloch along with their group announced joining BNAP. Addressing a joint press conference, Ejaz Khan Baloch said that he would apply for a BNAP ticket to contest from PP-268.
He expressed full confidence in the leadership of BNAP Chief Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi and said he was struggling for the movement for the restoration of Bahawalpur provincial status.
He alleged that all successive governments had neglected Bahawalpuries but now the people of the region fed up with the tall claims of mainstream political parties and decided to join Bahawalpur province movement.  On the occasion, Sajjad Khan told the media that he would organise BNAP in United Kingdom and he would establish a BNAP office in London as well.
Former Bar Association President Khalid Khan Baloch and Dewan Punnu Saeen were also present on the occasion.