{"id":50384,"date":"2024-01-20T20:46:08","date_gmt":"2024-01-20T20:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/saraiki-activists-call-for-separate-province-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2024-01-20T20:46:08","modified_gmt":"2024-01-20T20:46:08","slug":"saraiki-activists-call-for-separate-province-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/saraiki-activists-call-for-separate-province-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Saraiki activists call for separate province | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nISLAMABAD:
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With general elections just around the corner, Saraiki activists and students organised a rally for the recognition of Saraiki’s national identity and the establishment of a separate Saraiki province on Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Activists demanded a separate province to get rid of deprivation, marginality, and discriminatory treatment being meted out to Saraiki-speaking people for the last 76 years and to make Pakistan a balanced federation. <\/span><\/p>\n

The rally, which started at Melody Market, G-6 Markaz, and culminated at D-Chowk, was jointly organised by Saraiki Student Alliance (SSA) and Saraiki Suba Sang Committee (SSSC).<\/span><\/p>\n

The demonstrators were carrying placards inscribed with slogans in Siraiki language which said \u2018maikoon aakh na punj-daryaiee\u2019 (don\u2019t call me Punjabi), \u2018assaan qaidee takht Lahore dey\u2019 (we are the prisoners of Lahore throne), and \u2018jhokaan theesen aabad wal\u2019 (prosperity will come to our land again).<\/span><\/p>\n

During the rally, SSSC representative Safdar Klasra said the hegemonic rule of Takht-i-Lahore (throne of Lahore) was robbing the Saraiki people of their land, water, and other resources. <\/span><\/p>\n

Read\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>Saraiki province conference on 5th<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cOur communal lands are being allotted to the non-locals, our share of canal water is taken away by central Punjab, and our annual share of Rs500 billion in National Finance Commission (NFC) is being usurped by Punjab,\u201d he claimed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Arslan Niazi, a student of Quaid-i-Azam University said Takht-i-Lahore was discriminating against the Saraiki youth in the provision of jobs, depriving Saraiki children of their right to primary education in their mother tongue, and denying the Saraiki-speaking area its share of medical, engineering and higher education institutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Arslan Munawar, a student of Arid Agriculture University said despite being rich in natural resources and agriculture production, the Saraiki-speaking area lagged far behind central Punjab in terms of basic amenities such as health and education, road and communication, infrastructure, and job opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

The speakers of the rally urged the Saraiki people to cast their vote only for those political parties that support the creation of a Saraiki province and reject the ones who have historically been its opponents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20th<\/sup>, 2024.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n