Pakistan Peoples' Party-led movement for creation of South Punjab is quite near to die due to growing election euphoria, pushing the regional heavyweights to join major political parties than endeavouring for a new province before elections.
Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was being projected to lead the movement for creation of South Punjab on behalf of the PPP. However, strong differences were evident between the party leadership and Gilani after arrest of Musa Gilani by the ANF officers and shuffling of bureaucrats appointed by him as prime minister. Not only Gilani reacted openly but the PPP circles from Multan also made public statements against him in the follow up. The PPP study circle Multan leadership criticised him for corruption but also demanded of taking him to task for earning bad name for the party.
However, this bad taste could not last long and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf pursued Gilani at the Islamabad Club and took him to dinner at the presidency. This development ended up not only on the ongoing feud between the co-chairman and the Vice Chairman of the party but also sucking up later one's strength to lead the movement for South Punjab, said party sources.
Meanwhile, some circles also point out that the PMLN played down the move tactfully by supporting the movement for restoration of the status of Bahawalpur State. According to these circles, the PMLN leadership defended its political strength by supporting the restoration of Bahawalpur State on the one hand and backing the resolution creation of South Punjab province on the other. Today, they said, all heavyweights from the region are focused on upcoming general elections and striking deals with mainstream political parties one after another.
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