Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that “hopefully” the incumbent government would end the “injustice” towards South Punjab as it seeks the opposition’s support for the required legislation to fulfil its promise of creating a separate province with the area’s people.

“I believe injustice has been done with the people of South Punjab. They didn’t get their share, not in the [government] jobs and they also did not get the share in the budget as per their population,” he said while addressing the gathering at the launch ceremony of the national health card scheme in Bahawalpur.

Last month, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a series of tweets had urged the opposition to reach a consensus with the government on the passage of a Constitutional amendment for the creation of a separate province for South Punjab. The PTI and PPP had also endorsed a private bill, which was presented by PML-N leader Rana Mehmoodul Hasan, for the same purpose. However, another PML-N leader had rejected it.

“We have made changes [in the budget] and invested money in South Punjab that was never done in the past. Next time I will come [here] for the opening ceremony of South Punjab secretariat,” PM Imran said.

The creation of South Punjab province is one of the promises the PTI made before the elections that led to many lawmakers joining the PM Imran's party. Such a move requires necessary legislation and consensus from both sides of the aisle in parliament, with the preceding PML-N government losing a lot of good faith after failing to fulfill their promise.

It had led to estranged PML-N lawmakers, who had formed the Junoobi Punjab Suba Mahaz (JPSM), joining the PTI on May 9, 2018. In a press conference, JPSM President Khusro Bakhtiar, the current industries and production minister had said that the merger was made possible after the PTI included the formation of a new province in south Punjab in their election manifesto.

The premier also spoke about other issues in his speech. He was of the view that countries face a downfall when they don’t practice rule of law and rulers loot money. According to the premier, poor countries in the world were facing such problems.

“Whole nation fights together against looters,” he said while talking about the rule of law.

He questioned the media and opposition’s criticism while quoting The Economist, Bloomberg, and the World Bank statistics about the economy. “How our country was named in top three countries of the world for three years in The Economist Index of Covid if we are incompetent,” he said, adding that if such was a scenario then more “incompetent people” should come forward.

PM Imran said: “Many times, I tell my journalists that criticism is very important and criticism is the blood of democracy but please balance it whenever you criticise.”

The premier lauded the government’s initiatives of Ehsaas, Kamyab Jawan, and the health card scheme, saying that it would lead towards the welfare state. He further said the government was launching the health card scheme when the world was battling with Covid-19 pandemic.

“I can assure you that you cannot even get this universal health coverage in rich countries,” he said, “People have to premium if they have to get health insurance.”

According to the Prime Minister's Office, "With the inclusion of more than 15 million people from Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar districts in the Bahawalpur division, the number of eligible families and individuals benefiting from the National Health Card in Punjab will increase by 63%."