*ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of Saraiki youth, writers, political workers, womenand journalists took out a rally in Islamabad on Friday to demand aseparate Saraiki province.*

Participants of the rally carrying banners and placards demanded thegovernment take necessary steps to establish the Saraiki province.

The rally came days after eight lawmakers belonging to the PML-N quit theparty and formed a new political front to push for demands for the creationof the new province comprising South Punjab region.

“We have gathered to renew our historical demand, which is based on uniqueculture, geography, facts and history. The Saraiki belt had been a separateunit before the colonial era,” the participants said.

They said that Bahawalpur state was merged into Punjab in the name of oneunit scheme in 1969. As a result of the forced merger, Saraiki belt wasforced to become dependent on the Lahore throne.

The young generation was facing unemployment due to lack of quota ingovernment jobs. The Southern belt was deprived of its share indistribution of resources