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**Bengal_Tiger** · 04-18-2011, 07:18 PM

Superb tactical master stroke by Asfandyar!
One has to be acquainted with the nuances of Pakistani politics and ethnography to appreciate what a skillful and deft move this is.
1. The ANP has been going from success to success in its current tenure in office. They have been implementing a nationalist agenda in the region with impunity without the ISI and army being able to stop them. They have renamed their province to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have started implementing Pashto language in the province and have successfully withstood the Hazara challenge when the Hazaras were supported by the Punjabi establishment and media, and also the Punjabized sons of Ayub Khan, a Hindko supposedly of “Tareen Pashtun lineage”.

2. They have expanded Pashtun influence in to Karachi and clearly shown the Hindustani nationalist MQM, there can never be a Hindustani state of Karachi if Pakistan breaks up, but rather a multi-ethnic Muslim state.

3. They have threatened a “Bangladesh” a few times in the form of federal ANP minister, Ghulam Bilour. How many regional parties in the world can threaten an armed secessionist campaign and still enjoy power at the federal level?

These threats however did work.

4. Punjabis are of different types, including the northern Potohari speakers, the central Majhi speakers of Lahore and the southern Sairaki speakers.

The Sairakis are different to the northern Punjabis as they are not in the army. The Punjabi-dominated army is actually mainly composed of northern Punjabis and even many Pakhtoons from the Peshawar valley e.g. Peshawar, Kohat and Mardan.

The Sairakis are extremely poor as they are not getting their share of the loot which the northern Punjabis get from the Pakistan army. The Pakistan army is the biggest employer in Punjab and nearly every northern Punjabi knows someone in the army. Pakistani officers get massive acres and fancy houses/mansions upon retirement almost becoming latter day feudal landlords.

Due to this poverty and not sharing in the Punjabi looting, Sairakis are aware of being different to other Punjabis, though culturally they are similar and have the same devious and cruel nature of other Punjabis.

Sairaki areas are PPP dominated including Raza Gilani the Prime minister who is a Sairaki Punjabi himself.

Northern Punjab is PML-N dominated.

The words of Asfandyar are music to the ears of the power hungry feudal landlords of the PPP, and Asfandyar is aiding regional nationalists and supporting the division of Punjab.

The PPP would dearly love to have a Sairaki province which like Sindh is almost permanently loyal to the PPP.

A new Sairaki province weakens Punjab, strengthens regional nationalism through out the federation, and creates a new ally for the ANP, including against the establishment and army.

This is just simply a stroke of sheer genius.

5. This can also serve as a precedent for northern Balochistan i.e. Junoobi Pakhtunkhwa to be created or incorporated into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
However a Saraiki province may never be created but it shows how weak the federation is becoming and how strong the ANP is becoming as well.
Only someone like Pir Rokhan or Khyaal or someone similar can really comment if this is a bad/good/medium move by Asfandyar.

**Bengal_Tiger** · 04-24-2011, 06:02 AM

Nawab launches party for restoration of Bahawalpur province

* Salahuddin says Bahawalpur Awami Party to work for rule of people

* Says restoration of province a constitutional right

Staff Report

BAHAWALPUR: Ameer of Bahawalpur, Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi, on Thursday launched a new party – Bahawalpur Awami Party –to get the provincial status of the Bahawalpur state restored.

Addressing a mammoth gathering at his historic fortress, Sadiq Garh Palace, Nawab Salahuddin said the restoration of the provincial status of Bahawalpur was a constitutional right of the people of the state that was usurped by a dictator, General Yahya Khan, in 1970.

Flanked by Senator Mohammad Ali Durrani and some former MNAs, the Nawab of Bahawalpur unveiled the Bahawalpur Declaration, saying that against his family traditions he had decided to launch a political party for the cause of supremacy of law, progress and prosperity of the people. He said the new party would work for rule of the people and seek elimination of loot and plunder and hypocrisy from politics. It would contribute to bringing a positive change in the national politics and introduce a pro-public political culture, he added.

“Time has arrived for my people to rise and get their right of the provincial status - which was denied by a usurper. This is about time to wrap up the unjust system and reject the step-motherly treatment meted out to Bahawalpur and its people by successive regimes that have time-and-again abused, ignored and looted the people and state resources,” said Nawab Salahuddin as he addressed the people here after a long time.

“There is no need to see towards parliament or provincial assemblies for the restoration rather we will appeal to the masses, as it was a promise made by the father of the nation Mohammad Ali Jinnah to Nawab Sadiq Abbasi. As the legal heir of Nawab Sadiq, I hereby declare the launch of movement for restoration of Bahawalpur Province,” Salahuddin said.

The Nawab said his party would launch a resistance movement, and all the roads, streets and rail-links would take a centre stage in the movement. He asked the people to get ready for sacrifices, adding that getting the provincial status was the panacea to people’s predicaments. “At an appropriate time, we will give the call for the movement and all our people – men, women, children - would take to the street and would return to their homes only when the province is restored. I will not give the leadership of the province to thieves and thugs, I will rather give it to the people who are the real owners of Bahawalpur,” he remarked.

He said Bahawalpur would be an exclusive terrain of his party, adding that time had arrived that he himself lead the movement for the rights of his people. Referring to Punjabi and Urdu speaking settlers, he said that they were worthy citizens of Bahawalpur, as it was his father, Nawab Sadiq Abbasi, who had welcomed the settlers, who did a great job by cultivating the barren lands of the state.

“From now on, only those politicians would survive here who would stand by the cause of Bahawalpur province and if anyone opposed, I would ensure his political demise,” the Nawab warned. He said it was none other than Nawab of Bahawalpur who had announced to join Pakistan after the independence, but the latter regimes did nothing for the people rather they plundered the rich resources of the state, turning the richest state into the most underdeveloped area.

“We only recognise the agreement reached between Quaid-e-Azam and Nawab Sadiq Mohammad Khan-VI… Today, leaving behind my family traditions, I am here amongst you and would remain with you till the province is restored… we all promise to live and die for the cause of Bahawalpur Province,” the Nawab declared.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-4-2011_pg7_18

Nawab of Bahawalpur launches the BAP, Bahawalpur Awami Party for the restoration of a separate Bahawalpur province. Bahawalpur was a monarchy for centuries and only acceded to Pakistan on the condition that it would always remain a separate entity within a federation. It was however incorpoated into Punjab.

Royalty, a former Nawab of Bahawalpur.

During the first Afghan War, the Nawab assisted the British with supplies and allowing passage and in 1847-8 he co-operated actively with Sir Herbert Edwardes in the expedition against Multan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahawalpur_(princely_state)
Punjabis always talk of 1971 as an act of betrayal because Muslim Bengalis "sided" (supposedly) with Indians, when in fact it was two groups of Muslims arguing with America and China supporting Pakistan and India and Russia supporting Bangladesh. However 1971 was about a group of Muslims fighting for a Muslim state free of tyranny. However Punjabi "Muslims" sided with Ranjit Singh to conquer Muslim Peshawar, to put Muslims under "Kafir" rule.

The Punjabi state of Bahawalpur did the same by siding with "Kafir" Britain against the Muslim state of Afghanistan.

The betrayal however carried on 30 years later.

During the Afghan campaigns (1878–80) the Nawab placed the entire resources of his State at the disposal of the British Indian Government, and a contingent of his troops was employed in keeping open communications, and in guarding the Dera Ghazi Khan frontier.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahawalpur_(princely_state)

**Bengal_Tiger** · 04-24-2011, 06:21 AM

So the Punjabis siding with Anglo-Saxon powers (UK or US) to fight and kill Afghans/Pashtuns is nothing new and they have been doing it for the past 2 centuries. History is a recurring process and Punjabis have always been traitors.

However Bahawalpur is now an extremely poor state with most of the money in Punjab going to northern Punjab (Majhi speaking region) and the Punjabi-dominated army actually being northern Punjabi/ Potoharis.

Seperate province is essential to curb rising extremism in Southern Punjab. There is extreme poverty and entire budget of the province is spent in the upper Punjab which is the main support base for PML N.

faraz
Apr 15, 2011 - 8:17AM

Bahawalpur was the richest state to be annexed to Pakistan and to it was a province before the One unit was created. The tax collected from this region is spent in the upper part of the province and the people of this area are subjected to a bias in the distribution of resources such as water, development works and budgets. this area is the poorest in the the province. Why shouldn’t they be stopped from voicing their concerns. Don’t they have a right to speak and ask for whats theirs already ?

Haider
Apr 15, 2011 - 5:57PM

http://tribune.com.pk/story/149919/a...lpur-province/

So there are divisions amongst Punjabis themselves with the richer and more powerful north taking money and spending it on itself, while the southern Punjabis live in poverty. Then in addition there is the caste racism of Punjabis with their Jatt, Chaudhry, Butt, Rajput and other castes and discriminating against "low caste" Punjabis such as Gujjars, a clear legacy of their Hindu ancestors.

If Bahawalpur and Saraiki areas become two separate provinces. Punjab is broken into three (Pakistan itself was broken in to two in 1971). Punjab ceases to exist basically and the northern Punjabis become far weaker, the army also becomes weaker with Bahawalpuris and Sairakis - who are not much in the army unlike northern Punjabis - increasing their hostility to the northern Punjabi dominated army.

The PPP, MQM, and ANP all become stronger as a result.

The PPP has Sindhi nationalists in it, some who have flirted with separatism.

The MQM is a Hindustani nationalist party that believes in Hindustani supremacism and has thought of separation.

The ANP is a Pashtun nationalist party.

Pakistan inter-provinces as of current (NWFP is actually Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).

A divided Punjab, red areas marking Sairaki territory including Bahawalpur which is in the south-east of Punjab.

All of this strengthens the case of Junoobi Pakhtunkhwa (Northern Balochistan) joining Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

**Bengal_Tiger** · 04-24-2011, 06:32 AM

Bahawalpur before Seraiki, says Durrani

Our correspondent
Monday, April 11, 2011

Islamabad

The status of Bahawalpur province, which was forcibly merged with the Punjab in 1970s, should be restored before creation of a new province comprising the Seraiki belt, said Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani here.

Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani, a former federal minister for information and broadcasting who is campaigning for restoration of the status of Bahawalpur province, stated this when asked by The News about finalisation of strategy by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to create a new province.

“Before going for creation of a new province, the status of Bahawalpur province should be restored as it was forcibly merged with the Punjab province back in 1970s,” he said.

It has also been learnt that Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi is set to announce restoration of Bahawalpur province in a public meeting at Dera Nawab in Ahmedpur East on April 14.

Senator Durrani, who had launched a movement on March 23, 2009 for restoration of the Bahawalpur province, said it is right of the people of Bahawalpur that before going for creation of a new province in Punjab, the status of Bahawalpur as a province should be restored.

“If it did not happen and already developed areas including Multan, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan are included in the new province, the people of Bahawalpur will launch such a movement that will refresh the memories of the Pakistan Movement,” said Senator Durrani, who is now heading Muttahida Mahaz Bahawalpur.

Senator Durrani said he did not believe in the politics of dead bodies but would not hesitate from sacrificing his life for the rights of the people of Bahawalpur. He said first the status of Bahawalpur as a province should be restored and then the rulers create as many provinces in the present Punjab as they desire. In that case, he said, the people of Bahawalpur would have no objection.

Total population of Bahawalpur is current above 10 million. It has 15 seats in the National Assembly and 32 in the Punjab Assembly. However, if the seats of technocrats and women are included, the number of seats of Bahawalpur in the Punjab Assembly reaches up to 40.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrin...6&dt=4/11/2011

First map shows Bahawalpur region, and the second shows the actual administrative district of Bahawlpur within the province of Punjab.

Bahawalpur flag.

Announcement

ANP leader says Sairaki area is a province.

ANP leader says Sairaki area is a province.

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