SADIQABAD - The Bahawalpur National Awami Party is launching a vigorous movement for the restoration of Bahawalpur province and Insha'Allah the people of Wasaib will soon hear a glad tiding in this regard, said Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi.
The BNAP chief was talking to Syed Fazal Elahi, the chairman of the National People's Party on telephone in order to expedite the Bahawalpur movement and to discuss the issue of candidates' nomination before the general elections.
"The BNAP will field its candidates across the Bahawalpur Division for the forthcoming general elections. From the region, only the BNAP candidates will win the elections," the BNAP chief said. He also assigned a task to the NPP chairman to nominate candidates. He said that the government could not enforce its orders against the people's desires. It will have to honour the Wasiab people's demands regarding restoration.
He also observed that the party decisions were being taken after consultation. He warned that if the PPP and the PML-N leadership reneged on their promises regarding the Bahawalpur resoration, the people would take to the streets for their rights. In the elections, the BNAP will field candidates in every constituency of the division. However, a decision will be made to support the pro-restoration political parties after consultation.
Mir Fazal said that under the leadership of Nawab Salahuddin, the former status of the Bahawalpur region would be restored and those hoodwinking the people under the guise oof restoration efforts would face a failure. The Wasaib people are united under the leadership of Nawab Salahuddin and Insha'Allah in his leadership, the province would be restored.
JOURNALISTS' COLONY ON THE CARDS: For the establishment of a journalists' colony in Sadiqabad, the Revenue Department has been directed to submit a report regarding the vacant land of the Tehsil Municipal Administration and of the government in the tehsil, said Assistant Commissioner Malik Abdul Jabbar while talking to Press Club President office-bearers.
"Following the directive issued by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the department has started a search for the land and soon the journalists would be given a good news in this regard. The local revenue officials will soon submit a report pertaining to government-owned vacant land for this purpose," the AC said. He also said that the grabbed government land would be retrieved from the Qabza groups for the establishment of the colony.
Earlier, Rana Arshad and Muhammad Afzal, the club office-bearers, met with the AC and informed him about the CM's directives in this respect. They also told the AC that MPA M Shafiq had got the colony's establishment approved but the Revenue officials had done nothing despite the lapse of a period of six months.
Police hold marches to show preparedness: The district police arranged flag march separately in all the three Mandi Bahauddin, Phalia and Malikwal tehsils ahead of Ashura to infuse a sense of security among the public.
The marches were conducted under the supervision of respective Sub Divisional Police Officers to show preparedness for Muharram security and send a message to anti-social elements to desist from subversive activities during the holy month.
On the occasion, DPO Ameer Tamur said that holding flag marches at three main towns of the district aimed at making the public feel a sense of protection and show police preparedness. He claimed that comprehensive security plan had been prepared and more than 1600 policemen were deployed to guard mourning processions and Majalis during Ashura-e-Muharram.
He said that pillion riding had been banned on 9th and 10th of Muharram. He said the law enforcement agencies would maintain a close liaison with peace committees and organizers of Muharram Majalis and processions.
 He told media that 1,099 Majalis and 259 mourning processions would be held in Mandi district. He said special arrangements were made to check 'burqa-clad' women participants of the processions.