Summary
- LAHORE: As the PPP steps up efforts to rebuild its footing in country’s most populous and politically decisive province, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan said on Sunday that the visit of PPP Women Wing Central President Faryal Talpur would energise workers and strengthen the party’s organisational structure.
- Speaking to reporters after meeting Talpur at the PPP Central Punjab Secretariat, the governor said the PPP was not a weak political force in Punjab and maintained a presence across the country.
- He said any new province should reflect the wishes of the people concerned, and that if the people of Punjab wanted the province divided into smaller administrative units, their demand should be considered.
LAHORE: As the PPP steps up efforts to rebuild its footing in country’s most populous and politically decisive province, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan said on Sunday that the visit of PPP Women Wing Central President Faryal Talpur would energise workers and strengthen the party’s organisational structure.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Talpur at the PPP Central Punjab Secretariat, the governor said the PPP was not a weak political force in Punjab and maintained a presence across the country. He said the party leadership was focusing on organisational matters in the province, and that Talpur’s visit would give fresh impetus to party activities.
Asked about the creation of new provinces, Haider said the issue demanded serious debate, consultation and public opinion rather than hasty decisions. He said any new province should reflect the wishes of the people concerned, and that if the people of Punjab wanted the province divided into smaller administrative units, their demand should be considered.
He noted that the Punjab Assembly had twice passed resolutions in favour of a separate province in southern Punjab, and said the matter should be pursued in light of those resolutions and the aspirations of the region’s residents.
The governor described the creation of new provinces as a significant constitutional and administrative decision that required careful thought, adding that it would not be easy to reverse once taken. He pointed to the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying the aftermath showed the complexities of such moves and that returning to the earlier arrangement was not straightforward.
Haider called for further debate and dialogue, followed by consultation with the people concerned to ascertain their wishes.
Questioned about reports of a possible change in Punjab’s administrative boundaries, the governor said he had no information on the matter. He said it would be inappropriate to offer an opinion on speculation without confirmed facts.
