Then there should be Hazara and Hindku province in KP, three provinces of Sindh and two provinces of Balochistan, he stated adding that all provincial leaders support their stance and are with them so far as the national and language issue is concerned.
Others who spoke at the occasion include Phulekha Editor Mudassir Butt, Tariq Khurshid, Ehtisham Rabbani, Iqbal Qaiser, Jamil Pal, Perven Malik, Mushtaq Soofi, Baba Najmi and other scholars.
There was a consensus of opinion that the issue of the division of Punjab is a conspiracy hatched by corrupt waderas, capitalists, retired bureaucrats and decadent Pirs. They were of the opinion that the division will further aggravate the problems of poor people who are already suffering due to unemployment , poverty, inflation, poor health and education facilities.
It is a conspiracy against the Punjabi language and culture by corrupt politicians and we will go to any extent not to allow the creation of South Punjab, Mudassir Butt said.
Tariq Khurshid said that the demand for Bahawalpur province is rightful, adding that the so called advocates of South Punjab province are not supported by the genuine intellectuals and writers, only lackeys of waderas are backing the division of Punjab. He said that let there be referendum on the issue of division and the majority of poor people will disagree with the political opportunists.
Ehtisham Rabbani said that if a new province is formed there will be more exploitation of the have-nots of South Punjab. He further said that the constitution and the 18th Amendment does not allow any such division in the shape of new provinces. Iqbal Qaiser said that this is a considered conspiracy against Punjab. He said Sufi poets cannot be divided. Jamil Pal gave some statistics about the exploitation of poor Punjabi people, he said Punjab is the only province where mother tongue is not taught at primary level, and neither is it spoken in provincial legislature.
Others present in the press conference showed great concern and anger at the conspiracy of waderas of South Punjab and elitist elements of other political parties. It was decided that a national conference on the issue of division of Punjab will be organised soon with nationalists from all other provinces, students, human and women activists, intellectuals, writers and scholars participating to threadbare the despicable movement of division of Punjab.