DERA GHAZI KHAN: The Seraiki Lok Sanjh, a platform advocating for a Seraiki province and enhanced political and language rights within the country, organised a consultation meeting in Bahawalpur.

The meeting aimed to support rally for the creation of the province in Multan on Sept 10. The event, hosted in the High Court Bar Room in Bahawalpur, was chaired by Advocate Malik Qamar Channar and attended by Prof Akram Mirani (president), Advocate Manzoor Khan Drishak, vice president of the High Court Bar Association, and Mahboob Sheikh.

Prominent Seraiki intellectuals and activists, including Fazl-i-Rab Lound, Safdar Klasra, Rashid Aziz Bhutta, Khadim Hussain Magsi, Imtiaz Channar, and Hafiz Rashid Khursheed Channar, were also present at the meeting.

Mr Altaf said the Seraiki population constitutes a significant portion of Punjab’s inhabitants, actively advocating for their separate province for many decades in a peaceful and democratic manner.

He said economic injustices prevalent in the region, coupled with Punjab’s bureaucratic dominance, the absence of an independent employment quota for Seraikis, and a lack of recognition for their identity, language, and culture, could only be rectified through the establishment of a dedicated Seraiki province.

He said that dividing Punjab would positively address the skewed character of the Pakistani federation, wherein Punjab’s overwhelming electoral representation overshadows that of all other provinces combined.

A series of consultation meetings to orchestrate the Seraiki Sooba Rally in Multan was organised involving intellectuals and activists from areas such as Kot Addu, Jampur, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanpur, and Bahawalpur. During these consultations, bar associations of Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Bahawalpur passed resolutions in favour of establishing the Seraiki province, considering it a vital step to stabilise Pakistan and its federal structure.

Mr Lund addressed the issue of ongoing land allocations in the Seraiki region for corporate farming, which he deemed not only unjust and irrational but also environmentally and culturally destructive. He strongly advocated for the cancellation of such land colonization, both ongoing and historical.

Mr Bhutta raised concerns about the forced conversion of Hindus in Bahawalpur division and expressed disappointment in the government’s inadequate efforts to counter such conversions.

Mr Drishak focused on the imbalanced nature of the Pakistani federation and reiterated the urgent need to establish the Seraiki province.

He believed that this move would not only ensure the prosperity of Seraikis but also play a pivotal role in Pakistan’s stability.

Esteemed Seraiki activist and poet Ashiq Buzdar, along with Khalil Bukhari, Rauf Lund, Mukhtiar Bhutta, and Haider Chughtai, also addressed the gathering. Safdar Klasra announced that thousands of people, including women, from various Seraiki regions would partake in the Multan rally.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2023