Bahawalpur South Punjab
| Bahawalpur South Punjab جنوبی پنجاب ہاولپور | |
|---|---|
| Proposed Province | |
 The green highlighted area shows the proposed region for the new southern Punjab province. | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Capital | Multan |
| Largest city | Multan |
| Government | |
| • Type | Province |
| • Body | Provincial Assembly |
| Time zone | PKT (UTC+5) |
| Assembly seats | 39[1] |
Bahawalpur South Punjab (BSP; Urdu: جنوبی پنجاب بہاولپور) was the name of a new province proposed by Pakistan Peoples Party Government in the National assembly of Pakistan in January 2013.[2] to be created in the southernmost region of Pakistan's Punjab province, partially as a response to the demands of speakers of Multani and Derwi dialect of Western Punjabi language. However due to following criticism the proposal could not materialize.
Criticism
Nine out of 13 districts to be included in the proposed province have rejected the proposal, citing the following reasons:
- There is majority Punjabi population in five districts who identify themselves with north Punjab rather than South Punjab (Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Vehari, Khanewal, Mianwali and Bhakkar).
- Baloch people are in majority in the districts of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur who identify themselves with Baloch identity. They want their own separate Koh-Suleman province.
- The popular demands of the residents of Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan is a separate province in the steps of the former princely state Bahawalpur.
In remaining four districts Multan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Lodhran nearly 75% population is Majhi dialect of Punjabi speaking who objected to creation of a separate province based on linguistic criteria.
Additionally, the political parties campaigning for the creation of Saraikistan also rejected the new province as incompatible with their agendas, while Pakistan People's Party denounced the proposal as a "political stunt".
South Punjab
| # | Name (Birth) |
Took office | Left office | Affiliation | Affiliation Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ch. Gulfam Ramay (01/01/1986) |
06 February 2015 | Continuing | Muslim League | PML - N |
References
- ↑ "‘Bahawalpur South Punjab’ recommended as name of new province".
- ↑ "New province to be named Bahawalpur South Punjab". Daily Times. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bahawalpur South Punjab. |
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